In today’s session, the Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the National Strategy on the Rights of Victims and Witnesses of Crime in the Republic of Serbia 2019−2025, the objective of which is a new comprehensive system of protection and promotion of the rights of victims and witnesses of crime in Serbia. The accompanying Implementation Action Plan for the 2020−2022 period – a document which is integral to the Strategy – was also adopted.
The adoption of this Strategy has set a clear strategic course for the promotion of the rights of all victims of crime in Serbia in line with the highest European standards. To that end, substantive and procedural criminal laws will be amended and harmonised with those European standards in the field of victims’ rights.
Through the Strategy Implementation Action Plan, a national service for assistance and support to victims and witnesses of crime will be formed as part of each of the high courts in Serbia. In addition, the national network of support services in cooperation with the contact persons in the public prosecutor’s offices and police departments will enable all victims to receive timely support in a way and when they would need it the most.
This new overall strategic framework will allow for a more expedient awarding of damages to victims by having decisions on property claims made during the criminal proceedings. To that effect, holders of judicial office, police officers and attorneys working with victims of crime will receive adequate training which will be organised in a newly systematic way.
Another example of progress made in the field of victims’ rights is the new Free Legal Aid Act, the application of which began on 1 October 2019. The importance of this Act is in the recognition of victims of trafficking and domestic violence as beneficiaries of free legal aid and assistance.