Victims of crime: Do we really offer enough support?

Candid Conversations with Elizabeth Langdon

Hosted by Dr Marianne Broadbent

For every victim survivor of a crime, there is a ripple effect that extends far beyond the crime itself. 

Behind every victim survivor we hear about, there is a family receiving a phone call they never expected, friends struggling to understand what has happened, and a community grappling with shock and grief. For many victims and their families, life becomes divided into a clear "before" and "after". Long after the headlines fade, they are still living with the consequences.

And sometimes victim survivors of crime ask whether coming forward is worth it.

Given what many endure, it's a fair question.

Too often, people are harmed not only by the crime itself, but by the systems they turn to for help. Too often, victim survivors become victims of the very systems meant to support them.

Through the work of the Victorian Victims of Crime Commissioner, we hear not only about the enduring impact of crime, but also about the profound frustration and hurt many victims experience when navigating the justice system. 

Nobody chooses to become the victim of a crime. 

Yet everyday victims and families are asked to rebuild their lives while navigating complex investigations, court proceedings and decisions that can stretch on for years. They deserve a system that stands beside them with compassion, respect and practical support. They deserve to be recognised not as bystanders to justice, but as people with an inherent interest in how the justice system responds to the harm they have suffered. 

So why doesn't this always happen?

Victoria's Victims of Crime Commissioner, Elizabeth Langdon will outline her role in making the system better for victims and pose questions as to why the system which is meant to serve and support victim survivors, sometimes makes them victims once again. 

Elizabeth Langdon is a highly experienced executive leader with more than 30 years' experience working in the public and private sectors.  

Elizabeth commenced as Victoria’s Victims of Crime Commissioner in 2024.  The Victims of Crime Commissioner is an independent statutory position responsible for advocating for the recognition, inclusion, participation and respect of victims of crime in the justice system.

Prior to her current role, Elizabeth successfully led public sector agencies, regulatory policy and compliance, policy reform, research and operations in diverse settings. She has overseen complex, high-profile and high-risk initiatives successfully in Australia and overseas through collaboration, strategic thinking, advocacy, strong planning acumen, proven stakeholder skills and a delivery focus. Elizabeth has a keen interest in building high performing, diverse teams and in finding innovative ways to drive reform.  

Commissioner Langdon worked at the United Nations (UN) in New York and Geneva. She was a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health. The Commissioner also held a leadership role at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Additionally, she holds a BA from the University of Melbourne, a Masters in Political Sciences from Pierre Mendes-France University, and has received several awards for her work. 
 

Please join Victoria’s Victims of Crime Commissioner, Elizabeth Langdon, as she examines how the system can better support victims—and why it sometimes fails them.