Pieta Thornton OAM

Pieta co-founded Victims and Witnesses of Crime Court Support in 2006. It was motivated by her knowledge of inadequate support services for victims and witnesses who were required to provide evidence. Pieta resolved to establish an agency that would be entirely serviced by volunteers. She determined it would need to be prominently located within the courts, easily accessible and able to provide a professional standard of support and information. Pieta negotiated the provision of dedicated rooms for VWCCS in each court, a key foundation to its success. Pieta recruited, trained and mentored the original volunteers. Since that time VWCCS has grown to 120 volunteers servicing the Downing Centre, Parramatta Courts, Waverley Court and Newcastle Court. Since inception VWCCS has supported more than 20,000 victims and witnesses and assisted more than 200,000 court attendees.