- I was a victim of crime: consequences and reactions
- The rights of victims of crime
- Right to information
- Right to receive acknowledgement of the complaint
- Right to translation
- Right to victim support services
- Right to be heard
- Rights in the event of a decision not to charge the defendant
- Right to mediation
- Right to legal information and protection
- Right to reimbursement of expenses
- Right to the return of property
- Right to compensation
- Right to protection
- Right to privacy
- Rights of victims resident in another EU member state
- Criminal proceedings
- Who’s who in criminal proceedings
- Victim (Injured Party)
- Judge
- Prosecutor
- Pre-trial investingation officer
- Court secretary
- Court volunteer
- Victim’s lawyer
- Legal representative of an injured party (victim)
- Accompanying person of an injured party (victim)
- Victim support worker
- Suspect and defendant
- Defense lawyer
- Witness
- Experts and specialists
- Interpreter
- Psychologist
- Representative of state institution on protection of children rights
- Civil claimant and civil defendant
Right to be heard
During any criminal case, the injured party (victim) is entitled to be heard and to provide information that might be important for the investigation, and to submit evidence.
When the crime is first reported (if this is done by the victim), he or she can provide as much relevant information and evidence as possible to the authorities receiving the report. Later, during the pre-trial investigation, the injured party (victim) will be called on by the police or, in some cases, by the prosecutor for questioning. If the defendant is charged, the injured party will be called upon again for questioning in the trial.
In case the injured party (victim) is a juvenile, the questioning during the pre-trial investigation will be performed by a judge of pre-trial investigation. This means that the statement may, if necessary, be read during the trial, so as to avoid having the juvenile victim to repeat the testimony more than once. However, the trial judge may want the injured parties (victims) to testify in court when some important questions arise during the hearing, and they may be called and questioned again.