Commission Tabled Evaluation of Victims’ Rights Directive
8 August 2022 (updated 10 months, 2 weeks ago) // Published in printed Issue 2/2022 p 119
2018-Max_Planck_Herr_Wahl_1355_black white_Zuschnitt.jpg Thomas Wahl

On 28 June 2022, the Commission published an evaluation of the Victims’ Rights Directive (Directive 2012/29/EU). This will feed into a proposal for a revision of the Directive, which is expected next year. According to Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, there is a need to improve victims' access to information about their rights and to better protect those among them who are particularly vulnerable to becoming victims of crime, such as children or victims of organised crime.

The evaluation also showed concrete manoeuvre for improvements. In order to ensure better access to justice, victims of crime could be given procedural rights, for instance the right to request evidence. A better protection of victims could also be achieved through minimum standards for physical protection measures, such as restraining orders. In addition, anonymous reporting channels could help to increase rates of reported crime.