"The idea that the victim of a crime should have any expectations of the criminal justice system beyond informing the police or being called as a witness is relatively recent. In the 1960s there were isolated moves to care for victims, but it took till 1972 for the social work lecturer Chris Holtom to point to the law's systematic failure to recognise, look after and involve victims. This lack prompted him to take a leading role in the foundation of the organisation Victim Support, which has since helped more than 25 million people affected by crime. Chris has died at the age of 86 after a long illness. His concern persuaded a group of people in Bristol – members of the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (now known as Nacro), along with others from the police and probation service – to find out more about how victims were affected by crime. As well as learning a lot about the problems that victims faced, they realised that there was little or no help on offer. However, this first initiative ended in chaos because they had underestimated the demand, in terms of both emotional and physical need. An appeal to local charities such as Rotary and Round Table enabled a restart in 1974, when the first group going by the name of Victim Supportwas established. A wide range of skills were needed: Chris had the rare gift of marrying academic knowledge of social work with the ability and drive to make it effective in practice. The regard in which he was held was evident at the reunion of the pioneers at the 25th anniversary celebrations in 1999. By that point, the organisation had established a national office (1980); Home Office leaflets were being given to victims and witnesses (1988); the government had issued a Victim's Charter (1990); and a telephone Victim Supportline had been launched (1998). The anniversary year itself saw the Witness Service operating in all magistrates' and crown courts in England and Wales. Born in Reading to Marjorie, a VAD – volunteer – nurse, and her accounts clerk husband Reginald, Chris was educated locally at Leighton Park school. Its headteacher was EB Castle, whose daughter Hilary later became Chris's wife. In 1944 he joined the Royal Navy as an ordinary seaman and after eight years left the service as a lieutenant. The experience that led Chris to consider a career in crime, punishment and rehabilitation came through being put in charge of a fellow officer awaiting removal to serve sentence in England, and witnessing the man's emotional deterioration." http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/21/chris-holtom
