Desperately seeking safety: witnesses' experiences of intimidation, protection and relocation

The role of witnesses in assisting police investigations and giving evidence in court is crucial to the success of criminal prosecutions. Since the mid-1990s, however, there has been growing concern in the UK about the intimidation of witnesses aimed at deterring them from reporting crime or giving evidence. Drawing on in-depth interviews with prosecution witnesses subject to very serious and, in some cases, life-threatening intimidation, this paper examines the nature of the intimidation these witnesses suffered and its impact on their lives. rn those cases where witnesses and their families were permanently relocated away from their home area by one of a growing number of 'witness protection programmes' run by the police, this paper considers the difficulties these witnesses face in rebuilding their lives in a new community.