Victim's Rights - Comparative Approach within EU Legislation

• Author: Monica Pocora
• Position: Senior Lecturer, PhD, 'Danubius' University of Galati, Romania
• Pages: 87-93

JURIDICA

89

Victim's Rights - Comparative Approach

within EU Legislation

Monica POCORA

1

Abstract: Usually is talking about offender rights and rarely about victim's rights. This stud y aims to

analyse victim's rights especially in Romanian legislation from all points of view. Having involuntary

fallen victim to crime, the person is often unaware of what information is available. It is therefore

important that the onus is not put on the victim to request a certain piece of information. V ictims of

crimes need to have their important role in the criminal proceedings and he or she has to know about

the extension of th em rights. Not least, the study is focus on the right of the victim to receive

information, not to be made responsible for the practicalities surrounding its delivery.

Keywords: interpretation; hearing; assistance; support; advice

1. Introduction

Victims need information on what their rights are and what services they can

access, in order to participate in the criminal justice process or access any other

rights. Victims' right to information is therefore one of the most important rights in

the aftermath of crime.

The costs for initiating criminal proceedings against a person who has committed a

crime represent an obstacle for the victim of that offense, so it is necessary to

provide free legal assistance to victims if it meets certain conditions stated by

national or international law (in the case of cross border crime).

In some circumstances the legal systems of the EU Member States provides

exemption from all or some of the costs or support costs for benefits and providing

1

Senior Lecturer, PhD, “Danubius” University of Galati, Romania. Address: 3 Galati Boulevard,

800654 Galati, Romania. Tel.: +40.372.361.102, fax: +40.372.361.290. Corresponding author:

monicapocora@univ-danubius.ro.

AUDJ, vol. 11, no. 3/2015, pp. 89-95