Services to victims

The head of each department and agency of the United States engaged in the detection, investigation, or prosecution of crime shall designate by names and office titles the persons who will be responsible for identifying the victims of crime and performing the services described in subsection (c) at each stage of a criminal case. At the earliest opportunity after the detection of a crime at which it may be done without interfering with an investigation, a responsible official shall— A responsible official shall— During the investigation and prosecution of a crime, a responsible official shall provide a victim the earliest possible notice of— After trial, a responsible official shall provide a victim the earliest possible notice of— This section does not create a cause of action or defense in favor of any person arising out of the failure of a responsible person to provide information as required by subsection (b) or (c). For the purposes of this section— the term “victim” means a person that has suffered direct physical, emotional, or pecuniary harm as a result of the commission of a crime, including— in the case of a victim who is under 18 years of age, incompetent, incapacitated, or deceased, one of the following (in order of preference):