Table of contents

Effects of crime

Personal and financial support exists for victims. Victims of crime can suffer:

  • short-term and long-term:
    • physical effects
    • emotional effects
  • property damage
  • economic loss

Find safety

Ensure your immediate safety

Talk to someone

Help is available 24 hours a day:

  • if you are concerned for your safety, but aren’t in immediate danger, contact your local police or victim services unit
  • if you would like to talk with trained staff about family violence, call 310-1818 for the Family Violence Helpline
  • chat online with trained staff on Family Violence Info Line Chat

Find an emergency shelter

If you feel staying in your home puts you in danger, go to a Family Violence Emergency Shelter. These shelters offer people a safe place to stay when they are fleeing a domestic violence situation.

Leave an unsafe home

Alberta has legislation that allows renters affected by domestic violence to end their tenancy without incurring any financial penalties from landlords.

Get a protection order

You can apply for a protection order that forbids the other person from contacting you. Your local victim services unit can help you apply for an order.

Stay safe online

Abusers and criminals can track your internet activities.

Connect with victim services

There are victim services units in communities across Alberta. Victim services units are staffed with trained, caring people who will help you throughout the criminal justice process. Victim services advocates will treat you with courtesy, compassion and respect.

Apply for help

We are not taking applications for financial benefits at this time. Applications submitted prior to June 26, 2020, will still be processed.

Emergency assistance

Victims of crime can get financial help for:

  • emergency safety and security assistance – financial assistance following a violent crime to assist with safety and security-related losses and damages
  • counselling – immediate access to short-term supports to assist in dealing with the psychological impacts related to specified Criminal Code offences
  • court attendance expenses – reimbursement for expenses related to court attendance for specified events, such as sentencing or providing a victim impact statement

Eligibility

You may be eligible for emergency assistance if:

  • you were the victim of a serious eligible offence
  • the crime happened in Alberta – you don't need to live here to be eligible
  • you reported the crime to police within a reasonable period of time
  • your application is received within 45 days of the date of the crime – in special circumstances this may be extended

If you have questions about eligibility, contact the Victims of Crime Assistance Program.

How to apply

Step 1. Fill out the forms

You do not have to wait for a charge or conviction to apply, but the incident must first be reported to a police agency.

Any injuries must be verified by a medical professional (doctor or counsellor) who treated you for the injuries.

PDF form issues

Fillable PDF forms do not open properly on some mobile devices and web browsers. To fill in and save the form:

  1. Save the PDF form to your computer – click or right-click the link and download the form.
  2. Open the PDF form with Adobe Reader. Fill it in and save it.

Step 2. Submit the form

Email: [email protected]

Mail:
Victims of Crime Assistance Program
10th Floor, 10365 97 Street
Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 3W7

You can also fax the form to: 780-422-4213.

Serious injury benefits

Victims of crime can get monetary benefits for serious injuries or death directly suffered from the crime.

  • serious injury benefit – where as an outcome of the offence, a victim suffers a serious injury that results in immediate and ongoing loss of function or significant impairment requiring long-term reliance on others for daily living activities
  • death benefit – reimbursement of funeral costs for victims who died as a result of violent crime

Eligibility

You may be eligible for serious injury benefits if:

  • you were the victim of one of the eligible offences listed in the Victims of Crime and Public Safety Regulation (schedule 1)
  • the crime happened in Alberta – you do not need to live here to be eligible
  • you reported the crime to police within a reasonable period of time
  • your injuries require you to need assistance performing daily functions
  • you co-operated with the investigation into the crime
  • your application is received within 2 years of the date of the crime – in special circumstances this may be extended

Your criminal record and any action on your part that may have contributed to your injuries are also considered.

If you have questions about eligibility, contact us.

How to apply

Step 1. Fill out the forms

You do not have to wait for a charge or conviction to apply, but the incident must first be reported to a police agency.

Any injuries must be verified by a medical professional (doctor or counsellor) who treated you for the injuries.

Step 2. Submit the form

Email: [email protected]

Mail:
Victims of Crime Assistance Program
10th Floor, 10365 97 Street
Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 3W7

You can also fax the form to: 780-422-4213.

Motor vehicle incidents

Motor vehicle incidents are generally not eligible for victims of crime assistance programs.

If you have questions about eligibility, contact us.

Restitution

You can ask the judge to consider restitution – a court order to have the offender pay you back for expenses caused by the crime.

Court process

Get information during the court process

During a police investigation, you may ask the police for the following:

  • the progress of the investigation
  • if there were charges laid
  • the list of charges
  • the name of the accused

Support for victims during the court process

If your case goes to trial, the victim services unit will explain the courtroom process and guide you through the hearing. You can prepare for court through the following:

  • give your contact info to the Crown prosecutor and the victim services unit
  • tell the Crown prosecutor about special needs you may have
  • arrange for a court orientation session with the victim services unit
  • complete and submit your Victim Impact Statement as soon as possible

Get information after the court process

If the accused is found guilty:

  • the judge will consider your Victim Impact Statement while sentencing the offender
  • you can read your victim impact statement out loud in court, or have someone read it for you if the judge allows
  • if you do not want to be in the courtroom, the victim services unit will let you know the verdict
  • if you have safety concerns, contact the police or victim services unit

If the offender receives a sentence of 2 years or more, they will be sent to a federal prison. To receive ongoing information about the offender, you must register with the Correctional Service of Canada. Your victim services unit can help you register.

If the offender receives a sentence of less than 2 years, they will be sent to the provincial corrections system. To receive ongoing information about the offender, you must fill out the Victim Request for Information and Disclosure form (PDF, 753 KB) to register with Community Corrections. Your victim services unit can help you register.

Once registered, you will be sent:

  • the offender’s name
  • the offence for which they were convicted and the court that convicted them
  • the start and end dates of their sentence
  • eligibility dates and review dates for temporary absences or parole

You may also be sent:

  • the offender’s age
  • notification when the offender is in custody
  • notification when the offender leaves custody, and the reason for leaving
  • the location of the penitentiary where the sentence is being served
  • the date of any hearing for the purpose of detention
  • the date, if any, on which the offender is to be released on temporary absence, work release, parole or statutory release
  • any conditions attached to the offender’s temporary absence, work release, parole or statutory release
  • the destination of the offender on any temporary absence, work release, parole or statutory release, and whether the offender will be in your vicinity while travelling to that destination
  • the province where an offender is moved from a federal penitentiary to a provincial correctional facility
  • a current photograph of the offender

Long-term support

Phone and live chat

Child Abuse Hotline

Family Violence Info Line

Kids Help Phone

Parent Information Line

Shelters and victim services units

Shelters for seniors

Indigenous centres and services

Indigenous languages fact sheets

The federal government has fact sheets in 12 Indigenous languages for:

  • Victims’ Rights in Canada
  • Victim Impact Statements
  • Restitution Orders
  • Testimonial Aids for Young Victims and Witnesses
  • Testimonial Aids
  • Publication Bans
  • Community Impact Statements

Contact

Connect with the Victims Assistance Program:

Email: [email protected]

Related

Alberta Child Welfare Class Action Settlement

Restraining and protection orders

Complaints about how you were treated as a victim of crime

Complaints about the criminal justice process

Grants for victim services

Supporting victims of crime and public safety

Victim restitution and recovery

Your rights as a victim of crime

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