Report published - Access to Justice for Victims of Crime

Today the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has published a four-part report on access to justice for victims of crime. The report is based on field research conducted in seven Member States, including the United Kingdom where research was carried by HRLC. Interviews captured the perspectives of victims of violent crime, and of victim support staff, lawyers, the police and judges.

The four parts to the report focus on various themes where improvements can be made to better the experiences of victims as they interact with their respective criminal justice systems:

• Part I – Maps the development of victims’ rights in Europe, and outlines the human rights standards that apply today.
• Part II – Focuses on procedural justice, and on whether criminal proceedings are effective, including in terms of giving a voice to victims of violent crime.
• Part III – Looks at sanctions, scrutinising whether the outcomes of proceedings deliver on the promise of justice for victims of violent crime.
• Part IV – Focuses on the experiences of women as victims of domestic violence.

The overall findings of the research show that Member States must do more to protect victims, many of whom are not being provided with the safeguards they are legally entitled to as they attempt to seek justice.

In respect of the United Kingdom, research showed that, overall, criminal justice professionals felt that the rights and concerns of victims are taken very seriously, but felt that both the structure of the criminal justice system in the UK and limited resources leave areas where more needs to be done in order to support victims. This view was mirrored by the experiences of the victims interviewed, with only one quarter having had an overall positive experience of the criminal justice system and just under half feeling that justice had not been done in their case. A heavy reliance on civil society organisations for the provision of support services was also uncovered and points to the need for more government funding in this area.

Speaking of the research findings, HRLC Researcher and co-author of the UK report, Laura Wills says:

It was clear from speaking to criminal justice professionals that the system has come a long way in respect of the treatment of victims, particularly in relation to victims of domestic violence. Interviews with victims however disclosed many areas that still require improvement. In the UK victims are not party to proceedings and formally play the role of a witness. Accordingly, most victims do not have one single point of contact or advocate throughout the process. As a result, one issue relayed by almost all interviewees was a lack of continuity throughout the process. This disjointed system often leaves victims waiting months with little to no information about the case which, in many cases, exposes that person to secondary victimisation. In order to counter some of these problems and to meet the legal and policy requirements for the rights of victims, the Government must, inter alia, prioritise funding a more effective and comprehensive support system. It should also provide more training to police, prosecutors and the judiciary on how to interact with victims and the rights that they are entitled to.

Individual country reports will soon be released on the FRA’s website.