A secondary victim is:
- a person who is present at the scene of a violent crime and who is injured as a direct result of witnessing that crime; or
- a person injured as a direct result of subsequently becoming aware of an act of violence and who is the parent/guardian of the primary victim who was under the age of 18 at the time the criminal act was committed.
A secondary victim may be awarded up to $50,000 for reasonable expenses incurred (or likely to be incurred) in recovery from the crime for:
- reasonable counselling expenses;
- medical expenses incurred as a direct result of the violent crime; and
- in exceptional circumstances, loss of earnings of up to $20,000.
Where the secondary victim is under the age of 18 and witnesses a violent crime involving a family member or is the parent/guardian of a child who was under the age of 18 at the time the criminal act was committed, the Tribunal may include in the amount awarded (within the $50,000 limit) an amount for other expenses actually and reasonably incurred, or reasonably likely to be incurred, to assist him or her in their recovery from witnessing the crime.
Page last updated on 26 Sep 2016