In the last years, the needs of victims of crime, their rights and their role in the criminal proceedings were calling more attention. The Directive 2012/29/EU, 25 of October of 2012, which establish minimum standards and rules regarding the rights, support and protection to victims of crime (usually called Victims Directive), nowadays it is a fundamental rule to systematization, consolidation and deepening of victims’ rights. One of the rights from the Directive (art. 3, nº 3 and 20) is the right to be accompanied during the criminal proceedings for one person by choose.
The Project WITH YOU: accompaniment of victims and witnesses in the system of justice has the main objective define and develop a model for the accompaniment of victims and witnesses by Victim Support Workers during the criminal proceedings that can be adopted by any Member State.
The main objective of this website is to work as a tool for Victims Support Workers to find information about how to accompany victims and witnesses on the court, from the first contact until the final diligence. It includes orientations about how to accompany victims and witnesses in their interactions with the criminal system, aiming to ensure that the Victims Support Workers could help the victims and witnesses to exercise their rights in an effective way. There is also information about how to adapt the approach based on the specific characteristics of those who are accompanied, helping the Victims Support Workers to develop their conscience of the needs to personalize their support.
The consultancy to this website, however, does not avoid the need for specific training of the Victims Support Workers to accompaniment of victims and witnesses on the court. For further and detailed information about criminal proceedings, access: www.infovitimas.pt
Who is Who?
Why do accompaniment?
Which kind of diligence should have accompaniment?
The accompaniment process and the role of the Victim Support WorkerCoordinator:
Partners:
