EuroCOP believes that an evaluation of the Victims’ Rights Directive is definitely pertinent. Although not perfectly transposed across the European Union, five years of application is more than sufficient for an assessment. A concrete analysis of the available data and the experiences of practitioners on the existing rules will be key not only to identify where gaps in the rules exist, but also to understand why the differences in transposition have arisen.
Making the current framework better fit for purpose (given the changes in the status quo owing to digitalisation) is key and EuroCOP strongly supports the improvement of victims’ post-crime experience. This improvement is vitally essential to make the process run smoother, be suited for each individual victim respectively, whilst also allowing the relevant competent authorities to complete any necessary work.
A significant consideration for EuroCOP is that the experience of victims and the support provided by Member States is not, and should not be, a role solely given or provided by national law enforcement authorities. Although police officers are frequently the first point of contact for victims, they do not have all the necessary and requisite capabilities, resources or information at their disposal which are needed in some instances to fully provide for the individuals in question.