EU: every year, 75 million victims of crime. Commission working at a “strategy” that will provide equal rights regardless of the place where an offence happens

(Brussels) Tomorrow, 22nd February, the International Day in Support of Victims of Crime will be celebrated in Europe for its 30th time. Every year, 75 million people all over Europe are still the victims of all sort of crime, from trafficking to labour or sexual exploitation or even terrorism. “It was only yesterday that we were mourning the victims of another atrocious deed, this time in Hanau”, the deputy president of the European Commission, Vera Jourová, and the Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, wrote earlier today in a message in the run-up to the Day. “We are quite clear: racism and xenophobia have no place in Europe. We are determinedly against all those who want to divide our societies through hatred and violence”. Tomorrow’s Day intends to shed light on the need of people who have been victims of crime, especially on the need “for protection and a safe place to report crimes, with no fear of retaliation”. While in the EU “sound rights” are granted to such people, there are “still too many victims whose rights are not equally well protected when a crime happens in a EU country other than their own”. That’s why “a new strategy” is being worked at that should grant “equal rights, regardless of the place where the EU citizens fall victim to crime”. The victims’ rights strategy 2020-2024 – a notice from Brussels explains – will be presented before Summer 2020 and “will be focussed on the victims’ emancipation, the strengthening of cooperation and coordination among national authorities, the improvement of protection, of support to victims of crime and access to compensation”.
Valentina Bombelli