Paragraph 74 Victim personal statementI1

Although you are entitled to make a VPS, you do not have to do so. If you are initially unsure about making a VPS when you are giving a witness statement about what happened, you may choose to make a VPS at a later time – provided this is before the case comes to court or the accused is sentenced, or in the case of a Summary Hearing, before the case summary and written evidence are provided to the accused. You should be aware that if you choose not to make a VPS when initially offered, you only have a limited opportunity to make one later on. This is because the case may be dealt with by the Service courts or the Commanding Officer very quickly.