- VICTIM SUPPORT
- THE RIGHTS OF VICTIMS OF CRIME
- Victims right to understand and to be understood
- Right to receive information from the very first contact with the competent authority
- Victims’ rights when making a complaint
- Victims’ right to receive information about their case
- The right to translation
- The right to access victim support services
- Support from victim support services
- Right to safeguards in terms of restorative justice services
- Victims’ rights who reside in another EU member state
- Right to avoid contact between victim and offender
- Victim protection during the criminal investigation
- Protection of private life
- Individual assessment of victims- Special protection
- Right to protection of victims with special needs during criminal proceedings
- Rights of the witness of crime
- CRIMINAL COURT PROCEEDINGS
- WHO IS WHO IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS
- I WAS A VICTIM OF CRIME: COMMON REACTIONS
Victims right to understand and to be understood
(according to Article 56 of Law 4478/2017)
This describes the obligations of the police or other competent authority with whom the victim first comes into contact.
1. The police or other competent authority, upon first contact with the victim, shall take appropriate measures to help the victim to understand and be understood, from the first contact and in any further necessary communication in the context of the criminal proceedings, and to understand the information provided by the police or other competent authority.
2. Upon first contact with the victim, the Police or other competent authority shall use simple and comprehensible language when communicating with the victim, either orally or in writing. To this end, account shall be taken of the personal characteristics of the victim, in particular his or her age, maturity level, mental and intellectual capacities, level of education, linguistic competence, any hearing or visual impairments, as well as his or her heightened emotional state, which may affect his or her ability to understand or be understood. For this purpose, a guide to rights is available in the most commonly spoken languages as well as in Braille.
3. Upon the first contact with the police or other competent authority, the victim may be accompanied by a person of his or her choice when, because of the impact of the crime, the victim is in need of help to understand or to be understood, unless this is contrary to the interests of the victim or prejudicial to the proceedings, or this person is involved in the offence under investigation.