Description
Since August 2013 a new Law of the Victims has been in force. The Law significantly improves the protection of victims of criminal actions. However it has some aspects that should be analysed to determine if it effectively ensures the human rights of the victims. The objective of the project is to improve the situation of the victims of criminal actions by the evaluation of the Law by NGO´s with the experience with the impacts of the Law on the target group. Based on the analysis partial legislative changes will be proposed. There will also be prepared the handbook for the victims with information about the possibilities of legal protection disseminated in the frame of the outreach services. There are 4 organisations involved in the project which are working directly with the victims of criminal actions (human trafficking, domestic violence etc.). The organisations will contribute to the analysis with their experience from their direct work with clients.
Summary of project results
In 2013 the new Victim of Criminal Actions Act (n. 45/2013 Coll.) came into force. Four NGOs (La Strada Czech Republic, Bílý kruh bezpečí, People in Need – Plzen, In IUSTITIA), whose clients are victims of criminal actions, cooperated on evaluation of the law with the purpose to define its weaknesses and by enforcing the changes of the law to improve the situation of the target group in the Czech Republic. The aim of the project was to show the weaknesses of the law on concrete cases and to suggest changes of the law which will be enforced by the partner NGOs. To create a handbook for the victims of criminal actions in Czech and English was also one of the aims of the project. The handbook informs the target group about their rights ensured by the new law. The evaluation of the impact of the law n. 45/2013 Coll. was written. At the beginning of the project the specific goals were discussed between the cooperating NGOs. All four NGOs were working on collection of cases and preparing the case studies for the analysis. After that the lawyer of La Strada CZ analysed the case studies and consulted the results with the partners. Also the proposals for changes of the law were elaborated and were sent to the relevant institutions to be taken into account when creating the amendment of the law. After the end of the project we are using the strategic plan created in the frame of the project and participating on the legislative process. As this is a long-lasting process, we have not been able to enforce the changes until now (the amendment of the law has not been approved yet). However the NGOs are participating actively on the process and submitting the updated proposals.
Summary of bilateral results