Victoria’s Victims of Crime Commissioner Fiona McCormack to depart

Victoria’s Victims of Crime Commissioner Fiona McCormack has announced that she will leave the role at the end of her term this week.

Commissioner McCormack was appointed in 2019 by former Minister for Victim Support Ben Carroll, and in her five years has amplified the voices of Victorians who have become victims of crime and experienced difficulties in their dealings with the justice system and government agencies.

Over her term, the Commissioner has focused on listening to victims about the challenges they have experienced and advocated on their behalf to government, public prosecution agencies and Victoria Police.

In 2021 Commissioner McCormack initiated the first systemic inquiry undertaken by a Victims of Crime Commissioner. Examining victim participation in the justice system, the inquiry’s findings were released in 2024 in the Silenced and Sidelined report and revealed that 74% of victims surveyed stated that they were never, or only sometimes, treated as participants, and almost half said they would not want to participate in the justice process again. Through the report the Commissioner made 55 recommendations to government that if implemented would contribute to making the justice process safer and easier for victims of crime. 

Commissioner McCormack has worked with the media and countless organisational leaders across justice and victims’ services sectors to increase awareness of the challenges facing victims of crime. In particular, Commissioner McCormack has led the establishment of a trauma-aware lived experience advisory group and experts’ network, which will provide ongoing input on priority issues affecting victims.

Commissioner McCormack has been an advocate and ally for victims of crime, putting in place frameworks for victims’ complaints about their treatment by the justice system, and also for monitoring and publicly reporting on the extent to which regulated justice agencies and victims’ services are compliant with their responsibilities to victims under the Victims Charter. She has also made extensive recommendations regarding system reforms to ensure the justice system is better positioned to meet the needs of victims.

"I would like to thank Fiona for her work as the Victims of Crime Commissioner,” said Minister for Victim Support Enver Erdogan. “Advancing the rights of victims has always been at the forefront of her efforts. Through her advocacy, she has been a strong voice for victims." 

“The Victims of Crime Commissioner plays an essential role in promoting victims’ rights in Victoria, and I have felt incredibly privileged to be the Commissioner over the past five years,” said Commissioner McCormack. “I am particularly indebted to all the people who have been victims of crime who took the time to meet with me, or participate in consultations, and so generously shared their experiences and recommendations on the ways in which systems might be improved. The work of the Commissioner is essential because Victorians who—through no fault of their own—become victims of crime, matter. There is still much work to be done to improve victims’ experience of the justice and victim support systems. However, I leave this role knowing that so many victims have been heard and that there is a committed team in the Commissioner’s office who can support the new Commissioner to ensure that victims have a voice, and agencies are held to account for their legislated obligations. I wish the incoming Commissioner all the very best.”

The position of Victims of Crime Commissioner was advertised in May. The Victorian Government will announce the appointment of the incoming Commissioner when the recruitment process is finalised.