Free professional legal advice available for victims of sexual crime
IF YOU have experienced a serious sexual crime and you don’t know where to turn, why not book in a confidential chat with one of the Sexual Offences Legal Advisers (SOLAS) working within Victim Support NI?
Since the establishment of this support service in April, 2021, the three SOLAS – Peter, Paul and Marie – have supported more than a thousand victims of serious sexual crime.
They are all qualified solicitors who offer free legal advice and advocacy support up to the point of trial.
They can explain the justice process, make sure your rights are upheld, speak on your behalf to criminal justice agencies, and offer professional legal advice.
Speaking about the most important part of her work, Marie said: “It’s equipping people with knowledge about what the process looks like for them. Allowing them to decide what’s right for them. There’s no pressure from us.
“We can have a one-off conversation and leave it in their hands. Victims can engage with us at any time, whether they’re thinking about reporting a crime, or if they’re in the middle of a case.”
Peter emphasised a key point about the information SOLAS gather about the crime itself.
He said: “We don’t ask questions about the offence, and people should be assured that they won’t be asked what happened.
“Our only interest is looking out for victims.”
If you have experienced serious sexual crime and would like to contact a SOLA, please email
sola@victimsupportni. org.uk, www. victimsupportni.com/solas.
or visit
You can also phone a Victim Support NI Hub in Belfast (at
or Foyle (at