Welcome to the Swiss National Victim’s Help website
www.opferhilfe-schweiz.ch is the official website of the Swiss Liaison Centre Committee for the Victims of Crime Act (SVK-OHG), a sub-commission of the Swiss Committee for State Social Directors (SODK).
The coming into force of the revised Victims of Crime Act on January 1st 2009:
What is new?
The revised VCA from the 27th of March 2007 is still based on three pillars including counselling, financial support and the victim’s rights in penal procedures. Also unchanged is the term “victim”. Changes mainly apply to the financial section of the victim’s help. More details about the changes and the interim arrangement can be found here.
What is Victims’ Help?
Help according to the Victims of Crime Act (VCA) is available to anyone whose integrity is directly impaired, either bodily, sexually or psychologically as a result of a criminal act, regardless if the offender is sentenced or not, or if the offender is culpable or not.
The criminal acts which substantiate a victim’s case, have not all been accounted for in the VCA. Recognised acts include:
- Cases of violence (e.g. murder, physical injury, robbery)
- Sexual offences (e.g. rape, sexual assault)
- Domestic Violence (e.g. physical injury, grievous bodily harm, threat)
- Road accidents involving physical injury.
If certain conditions are fulfilled the following people can also benefit from the victims’ help: family members (husband or wife, parents, children, siblings) or other people (partner) close to the victim. The victims’ help centres can be addressed for further information.
The Victims’ Help is primarily based on the federal Victims of Crime Act (VCA) and Victims of Crime Decree. In the various cantons of Switzerland there are also further supplementary laws. More information concerning the legal fundamentals.
What does Victims’ Help include?
Counselling: Victims are entitled to free counselling, information and guidance from a recognised Victims’ Counselling Centre.
Procedural Rights: According to the VCA the victim has the following rights in the criminal procedure:
- The right to take part in the criminal procedure against the offender and to claim damages and reparation (compensation for pain and suffering)
- On request: Information about decisions from the authorities and sentences from the courts
- The right to be accompanied by a confidant to authority and police questionings
- On request with sexual offences: Questioning by someone of the same sex, the hindrance of a confrontation with the offender, a non-public court session with at least one judge being of the same sex
Children and adolescents receive special protection
Financial Services: According to the VCA, victims are entitled to claim financial support (for damages and/or reparation) from the Cantonal Compensation Office.