The Victims of Crime Assistance League Inc NSW (VOCAL) is a not-for-profit charitable organisation based in Newcastle in the Hunter Region of NSW, Australia. VOCAL is ‘generalist’ support service for people who have suffered as a result of violent crime and similar tragedy. The victims, their families, their friends, and the broader community. Any victim, any crime, any stage.

Our clients seek many things, including someone who will listen to them, not judge them, and to hear them. They seek  reassurance, validation, direction, information, counselling, support, compensation, court preparation and support, advocacy, relief from secondary victimisation, understanding about the impact and consequences of crime, assistance and support in reporting and the criminal investigation processes, support to get victims’ rights, explanation of their place, role and limitations in legal processes of all types, referrals to places that may help, life and coping skills, dealing with grief and loss, dealing with the media, lawyers, bureaucrats and other many other crime-related challenges.

We are committed to helping today’s victims get the assistance and information that they need. We lobby for a positive, victim-focused approach in all responses to victims of crime by society and from all legal systems.

We learned ‘the hard way’ that you just don’t know until you know - What it’s REALLY like to be a victim of crime in today’s world! That’s why we became “VOCAL”. There remains much to be achieved.