The European Commission’s proposal of a new Directive establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime was voted by the European Parliament and approved with an overwhelming majority on the 12th of October 2012.
This Directive will bring about a stronger set of rights for victims of crime and guarantee that all victims of crime enjoy the same basic rights in criminal proceedings and have access to victim support services and compensation. Among other things, the innovative character of this Directive includes establishing an individual assessment of the specific needs of every and each victim, the obligation imposed to Member States of providing free-of-charge and confidential victim support services and the guarantee that victims will receive information about their rights in a language they can understand.
The next step is the voting by the Council of the European Union that shall take place during the month of October. The Directive will come into force once published on the Official Journal.
