- I was a victim of a criminal offence: consequences and reactions
- The rights of victims of a criminal offence
- Right to be treated with respect and dignity
- Right to privacy
- Right to information about rights from the first contact with the competent authority
- Right to be heard
- Right to interpretation and translation
- Right to be accompanied by a victim support association
- Right to be accompanied by a legal representative and an adult of your choice
- Right to declare a third party’s address as a home address (with their consent)
- Right to return of property
- Right to compensation
- Right to legal aid
- Right to an individualised assessment
- Right to specific protection measures
- Social protection rights
- Right to an alternative to criminal proceedings: mediation
- Right to benefit from restorative justice measures
- Right to information on appeals and remedies
- Criminal proceedings
- Who is who in criminal proceedings
Judicial police
The true facts of a case are mainly determined during the investigations carried out by the judicial police as part of the criminal proceedings. The judicial police (which comprises mainly the national police and the national gendarmerie) works closely with the Public Prosecutor during the investigations and with the judges during the judicial investigation. The prosecutor and judges define the missions of the judicial police and order certain measures restraining freedoms.
The judicial police have an investigative role. Firstly, it establishes the offence and receives the victim’s complaint, which it forwards to the Public Prosecutor. Then it investigates the case by searching for evidence and identifying alleged perpetrators. This involves arrests, police custody, expert reports, search and entries, and witness statements, all within a legal framework that respects individual freedoms. Finally, the prosecutor determines how the case is to be followed up.