New EU Rights for Victims of Crime

Scots MEP Alyn Smith has this week [Monday] hosted a conference in the European Parliament in Brussels highlighting the importance of Victims’ rights.

The conference comes on the back of a new directive to Member States from the EU – which was published week and set on best practise in Scots law – setting a minimum standard across the EU for the victims of crime.

Previously victims’ rights differed from state to state, meaning that many who were victims’ of crime whilst living, travelling or holidaying abroad in Europe suffered as a result of the poor standards of the respective Member State. That has now changed with every EU citizen guaranteed a minimum set of rights if they are unfortunate enough to become victim to a crime.

Amongst those speaking at the conference was stalking victim Ann Moulds who campaigned for greater victims’ rights and gave evidence to Scottish Parliament’s Justice committee.

Smith hosted the conference after he co-authored a written declaration which will give Parliamentary backing to the directive.

Commenting, Alyn Smith MEP said:

"This was a hugely informative and successful conference which seen experts, key stakeholders and policy formers come together to discuss last week’s directive and how it will be put into practise.

"We also heard from people who have been victims of crime and where they thought improvements can be made, both domestically and across Europe. Anyone can become a victim, and this directive brings in the minimum standards of treatment anyone can expect, in any country.  Without the EU as a framework to negotiate such a co-operation it would simply not have happened. 

"This Directive also has Scottish fingerprints all over it, and draws quite explicitly from Scottish best practice.  Victim Support Scotland was instrumental in making it happen, and I was proud to organise a lobbying meeting in Brussels in the Spring which heard heart breaking first hand testimony from numerous people about how the system has failed them."