Crime can affect anyone and happen anywhere. Victims of crime deserve to be protected, receive support, and have access to justice no matter who they are, the crime they endured, or where it took place in the EU. The European Day for Victims of Crime is on the 22nd of February, and it is a timely reminder we must work even harder to improve the lives of victims throughout our Union. In the course of my work as a public representative, I have regularly heard first hand the traumatic impact that crime has on victims. I've heard about their struggles, their pain and their sense of being abandoned by the system. As EU Commissioner with responsibility for Criminal Justice, I am determined to play my part in improving the practical experience that victims of crime are faced with.
While anyone can fall victim to a crime - whether at home, at work, or travelling to another country on holiday or business - victims are often among the most vulnerable members of our societies, who can be left feeling isolated and unsure of where to turn for help. They can suffer from trauma and from life-long impacts on their physical and mental health. However, during criminal proceedings, victims may feel like they are simply being used as witnesses, without any regard for how they feel and what they are going through. This is something I find unacceptable and why I am pushing for change.
With the appropriate support, protection, and with dignified treatment, we can work to minimise many of the consequences of crime on victims. This European Day for Victims of Crime is a poignant reminder of the responsibility we all have to ensure victims are not overlooked. I am committed to ensuring that every victim receives the care and attention they deserve and can rely on the same minimum standards of support, protection, and access to justice in all EU Member States - as individuals who have been profoundly affected by crime.
Since 2015, the Victims' Rights Directive - Europe's main set of rules on victims' rights - has helped to guarantee the rights of the estimated 15% of Europeans who become victims of crime every year. In 2022, a Commission's evaluation identified five rights that need to be strengthened when applying the law: the right to information, support, and protection in accordance with victims' individual needs, procedural rights, and the right to a decision on compensation during criminal proceedings.
What's more, the minimum standards of victims' rights have evolved since the adoption of the Victims' Rights Directive. We have a different understanding today of what child-friendly and victim-centred justice should look like; we also have new means of providing access to justice, supporting, protecting, and communicating with victims of crime.
With the proposal to revise the Victims' Rights Directive, the Commission wants to upgrade the minimum standards of victims' rights across the EU, so that the most vulnerable members of our society - victims of crime - can benefit from these advances. The Commission's proposal includes amendments that are both ambitious and proportionate: improving access to information, enhancing protection, strengthening support, improving victims' participation in criminal proceedings, and facilitating their access to compensation.
First and foremost, the Commission has proposed to make victims' helplines mandatory across the EU, using the EU-wide telephone number 116 006. These helplines should provide information to victims about their rights, refer victims to specialised support where necessary, and be supported by online information provided on comprehensive websites, available in different languages, and designed to be accessible to persons with disabilities. The good news is that these helplines are already in place in most Member States, but coverage must be extended across the Union so that victims can rely upon these helplines wherever they are.
Victims should also be better protected, through more individualised assessments of their needs and the availability of protection orders. This is particularly important for the most vulnerable victims of crime, such as those with disabilities, victims of hate crime, organised crime, or core international crimes, as well as those in need of a physical protection from violence. The most vulnerable victims should, once justified by an individual assessment, also be able to rely on free psychological support for as long as necessary. Child victims should be able to receive specialised multi-agency support and protection in the same premises.
When it comes to criminal proceedings, victims should be able to participate more actively, receiving support in the courts and having the right to challenge decisions that affect their rights. I firmly believe that victims should not only feel heard but also empowered throughout the legal process. When they act as witnesses, they should be guaranteed the right to privacy to protect their safety and reduce the risk of further victimisation.
With these and other important amendments, the Commission expects to significantly improve the situation for victims of crime across the EU.
Nonetheless, before these proposals by the Commission become European law, they need to be agreed by the co-legislators: the European Parliament and Member States in the Council. Fortunately, there is already a strong commitment evident in the ongoing negotiations. With this positive approach, I look forward to a swift agreement on the ambitious revision of the current rules so that we can improve the lives of thousands of victims across the EU.
Michael McGrath, EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection