5 - My rights to support and assistance

I am a victim of crime who do I contact for support and assistance?

Contact details of the entities providing assistance to victims can be found here.

Victim support telephone helpline

OTHER CONTACTS

Victim Information Offices (the offices are located in regional capitals and provide basic information and help to establish contact with the entities providing assistance to victims)

Is victim support free?

Yes.

What types of support can I receive from state services or authorities?

Legal aid can be obtained from the entities providing assistance to victims, from the intervention centre for victims of domestic violence or, under certain conditions, from the Centre for Legal Aid. The state cooperates with the entities providing assistance to victims, and during the first contact the police will provide you with their contact details and the information about the form of assistance tprovided by these entities. At your request, the police will assist you in contacting them.

What types of support can I receive from non-governmental organisations?

Each victim has the right to receive expert assistance. It is provided mainly by the entities accredited under the Victims of Crime Act,as well as by other entities providing assistance to victims (‘registered entities’ – however, these entities do not necessarily provide assistance to the extent indicated below).

The accredited entities meet especially the conditions of professional competence, i.e. they employ professionals who have obtained university degrees and professional experience in the field. The various entities usually specialise in providing expert assistance to a particular group of victims, with a view tofocusing more specifically on the victims’ needs and providing better-quality assistance. The register of entities providing assistance to victims contains information on this specialisation, as well as the contact details or the geographical coverage of each entity.

The accredited entities can provide you with general expert assistance or with specialised expert assistance intended for particularly vulnerable victims

General expert assistance to victims includes:

• provision and adequate explanation of information (especially as regards criminal proceedings, procedures and rights, expert assistance);
• legal aid to exercise the victim’s rights;
• legal aid to exercise the rights of a victim who has the status of a civil party or a witness in criminal proceedings;
• psychological assistance;
• counselling on the risk and prevention of repeat victimisation.

An accredited entity providing general expert assistance must always provide the first consultation free of charge. If it has received a grant, it provides expert assistance free of charge for 90 days and even for a longer period if necessary and if the victim asks for it.

Specialised expert assistance to particularly vulnerable victims includes:

• provision of general expert assistance;
• provision of psychological crisis intervention;
• evaluation of the threat of danger to life or health;
• arranging for the provision of social services at an emergency housing facility and specialised social counselling where there is an immediate threat to the life or health of a particularly vulnerable victim.

Particularly vulnerable victims are always entitled to receive specialised expert assistance free of charge. This assistance is provided for 90 days and even for longer if necessary and if the victim asks for it (also informally, e.g. by arranging another meeting).

The accreditation of entities is subject to the provision of one of the above forms of assistance, which is also linked to the type of victims to whom they provide assistance. If you are not sure what kind of expert assistance the accredited entity provides and what type of victims it deals with, do not hesitate to contact them. They will be able to advise you and refer you to another entity where appropriate.