Victims are not always given adequate support in the EU, warns the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in a report published on Wednesday 22 February.
In fact, the FRA has been addressing the shortcomings of the Victims’ Rights Directive (see EUROPE 12981/15) since the European Commission announced its intention to revise it during 2023. In particular, it calls for harmonised levels of support, facilitating the reporting of crime and protecting those who are subject to inadequate care leading to re-traumatisation (‘secondary victimisation’).
The report notes that, in some countries, support for victims is still inadequate: not only is the structure of victim support organisations complex, but support also varies from one organisation to another.
To address this, the FRA recommends that Member States should appoint a public body to ensure that there are sufficient victim support organisations and that these organisations follow performance standards. It also suggests increasing public funding and ensuring that services are adapted to the needs of different categories of victims.
While only two-thirds of victims report their abuse, the Agency also calls on EU countries to facilitate reporting procedures with particular attention to victims of domestic violence and hate crimes, as well as victims living in closed institutions.
Specifically, the FRA advocates for working to build trust in law enforcement and to develop alternative reporting options, such as reporting to a third party (such as an authority other than the police).
Finally, in order to limit the additional trauma caused by inadequate care (‘secondary victimisation’), the FRA calls on EU countries to ensure that police officers are given practical guidance on dealing with victims of crime. In parallel, the Agency calls for inspiration from promising practices, such as the Icelandic ‘Barnahus’ model for the prevention of secondary victimisation of children (see EUROPE 13066/22).
To read the report: https://aeur.eu/f/5gs (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)