Conference: Crime victims’ access to justice in the European Union
On the 18th and 19th of April the Academy of European Law organised in Trier a conference on the topic of crime victims’ access to justice in the European Union (EU).
The seminar focused on the analysis and discussion of the new Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime and on the mutual recognition systems for protection measures within the EU.
The seminar was enriched by the active participation of several judicial practitioners and jurists of victim support organisations from various European countries: France, Belgium, Romania, Spain and Portugal.
APAV receives congratulations on action against Stalking
APAV received a warm congratulation for joining the UK on the National Stalking Awareness Day on April 18th, which was officially launched last year by Scotland and England and Wales.
Hence, APAV launches this year its first National Stalking Awareness Day and will do so by launching a leaflet and a website on the phenomenon [www.apav.pt/stalking]. Hopefully this will be a key opportunity to raise the awareness to this form of victimisation that is not yet recognized has a crime in Portugal.
Our slogan is "Take stalking seriously" ("Levar o stalking a sério") and we aim to raise the awareness of the general public for the negative and sometimes life threatening consequences of stalking for its victims.
The Victim Support Europe Annual Conference 2013 | May 29th – June 1st | Edinburgh
The Victim Support Europe Annual Conference 2013, “Supporting Victims of Crime in Europe”, is going to take place between May 29 and June 1 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
This event will bring together criminal justice professionals, EU Members States representatives, academics, policymakers and victim support practitioners to discuss new developments and best practice in relation to victims of crime in Europe.
It will also host a discussion and debate about the implementation of the EU directive on victim’s rights and steps to ensure successful delivery, the rights of victims of crime, the impact of human trafficking, cross-border victimisation and ways of effectively delivering services to victims of crime.
The event will include speakers from the European Parliament, the Irish EU Presidency, Justice Ministries and other international experts in the field of justice and victim’s rights.
To find out more about registration, programme and practical information, visit the conference website: www.vseconference.org
APAV as a Case Study at a Conference in Latvia
With the mission to put in place the protection and support given to victims of crime in Latvian public policy, PROVIDUS – the Center for Public Policy – hosted in Riga the conference, “Substantial Support for Victims: Towards a Holistic Response to Crime, Latvia and Beyond” between February 21 and 22, 2013.
The conference urged the European Union authorities to ensure that the minimum standards of the rights of victims of crime reflect the new Directive, as well as to find a model of victim support for Latvia that involves a collaboration between responsible authorities and professionals in the country, which continues to see the marginalisation of victims of crimes whose rights and resources are outdated.
The conference asked for a formal execution of the Directive 2012/29/EU as to develop a systematic approach to ensure the adequate and effective exercising of rights, support and protection of victims of crime in Latvia.
APAV was selected as a case study and was invited to present their model of victim support used in Portugal and illustrate the Portuguese reality under the talk, “Make It Happen for Victims of Crime in Portugal.”
APAV launches the campaign “Your Safety is not a Game. Stay Connected.”
Between
2000 and 2011, APAV processed 7,387 cases of children and youth victims of crime and violence, which altogether amount to 11,261 crimes committed against children. Among these cases, crimes against property became the third most frequent, but were relatively low when compared to crimes committed against persons. This fact is indicated by the low level of complains and requests for help from younger people when it comes to crimes of this nature.
To address these problems, APAV sought to produce and disseminate to a younger audience easy-to-follow information and resources on violence. The resources will also touch on the importance of reaching out for help and assistance, and on ways to adopt personal safety and protection measures.
So with the help of Ideias com Pernas, APAV developed the educational and awareness-raising campaign website, www.apavparajovens.pt. Sponsored by Cupido, this campaign is also fortunate enough to have young actors Mikaela Lupu and Ricardo Sá involved to help deliver an important message to a younger audience: “Your Safety is not a Game. Stay Connected”. This project draws attention to the possible dangers that one might encounter when walking on the streets, teaching younger audiences how to adopt personal safety and protection measures.
The dissemination of this project has begun since December 2012, with joint efforts from Master’s and PhD’s students, public and private secondary schools, Facebook networks, partner institutions and mass media. Partner organizations in Scotland and Sweden also provided tremendous help and support in disseminating the message to the targeted audience.
This initiative is done under Project LEAD – Inform to Prevent, which was promoted by APAV and financially supported by the Directorate-General Justice of the European Commission. All of this is made possible under the programme DAPHNE III, involving national partners, the Foundation of Youth, ISCTE (Instituto Universitário de Lisboa), as well as international partners – namely, Victim Support Scotland (Scotland) and Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority (Sweden).
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