A pilot scheme which is helping victims of youth crime to recover from their ordeal while also helping reduce reoffending may be spread across Scotland.
The Voyce (Victims Of Youth Crime) service allows the victims of crimes committed by under-16s to let the offenders know the impact their actions have had.
More than 90% of the 1100 victims in the past year in the Dundee pilot scheme found this helpful, and the additional benefit was that it changed the behaviour of many of the young offenders.
Shuttle mediation is used to pass on the information and the two parties never meet.
The service, backed by Dundee City Council, was launched in 2003 and is administered by Victim Support Scotland (VSS) as part of its Youth Justice Service. Councillor Jill Shimi, Dundee City Council leader, said the council was delighted with the success of the project and their faith had been rewarded.
"The partnership approach on this issue has been a remarkable one and we intend to continue working across the relevant agencies to establish further improvements for victims in this area.
"The main priority is to support the victim and provide an opportunity to express his or her feelings following the crime. The second priority is, in the long-term, to (have an) impact on the young person and reduce offending behaviour.
"I know from my meetings with Cosla that local authorities are constantly seeking ways of supporting victims and reducing offending and this would be ideal to be rolled out across Scotland."
The annual report for the service lists 1100 referrals. Victims of assault, breach of the peace and vandalism accounted for more than 60% and 73% of under-16s referred were victims of assault.
A Stirling University examination of the service recorded that most respondents were highly appreciative of it.
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