- 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
Right to be treated with respect and dignity
During the legal proceedings, the victim should be treated with respect and dignity. Regardless of the situation and context in which victims find themselves, they are entitled to their rights. Introduced by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, dignity is the principle that every human being should be treated with respect, care, and consideration. Not harming the individual means not offending them unnecessarily or judging them hypocritically.
Neither the judge nor any other person involved in the trial may make defamatory statements about the victim. Lawyers must defend the interests of their clients without prejudicing the other side, and judges must decide the case without humiliating or demeaning the victim and the accused.