Victims of crime in 22 European criminal justice systems

Abstract

This study is an analysis of the position of the victim of crime in 22 European criminal justice systems. The guiding light throughout the study is Recommendation (85) 11 of the Council of Europe on the position of the victim in the framework of criminal law and procedure. This Recommendation contains guidelines on the way the victim of crime should be treated by the criminal justice authorities in the course of criminal proceedings against the offender. It focuses on three key issues, namely information, compensation, and treatment and protection. The study examines the implementation of the body of thought contained in the Recommendation in 22 jurisdictions that were all a member of the Council of Europe when the Recommendation was first adopted in 1985.