2025 The year of victims rights – Victim Support Europe

The Year of Victims’ Rights is a year-long initiative spearheaded by Victim Support Europe and its 80 members. Its primary objectives center around universality, progress, and engagement.

The campaign, which will launch on 22 February, the European Day for Victims of Crime, seeks to unite citizens, professionals, and politicians to demonstrate why victim support is vital for a sustainable future. The campaign’s three key events take place in:

February

The campaign launch at the Brussels Press Club; “Once Upon a Support” spotlights the European Day for Victims of Crime’s 35-year history.

May

Victim Support Europe’s Annual Conference – “35 Years of Victim Support in Europe” – takes place in Lisbon.

November

“More Than Words”, a joint VSE/UN event marking 40 years of the UN’s Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power will conclude the campaign.

Throughout the year, we will host a variety of events to spotlight and strengthen victims’ rights across the EU. These include the Victim Support Award, regular updates from Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on their ongoing commitments to victims’ rights, and Monthly Spotlights — a narrative series with a focus on a wide range of victims’ rights issues, enshrined in the EU Victims’ Rights Directive, in need of concrete and urgent action from States and other duty bearers (based on our BENEVICT findings).

The year 2025 marks a pivotal moment in the history of victims’ rights within the European Union, as we commemorate several significant milestones that underscore decades of advocacy and progress:

35th anniversary of the European Day for Victims of Crime (22 February), highlighted by the VSE Victims’ Rights Symposium, bringing together VSE board members, MEPs, and key stakeholders.
5th anniversary of the EU’s first-ever Strategy on Victims’ Rights (2020–2025)—a landmark policy milestone and a moment for critical reflection and assessment.
25th anniversary of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, a cornerstone document safeguarding the rights of all EU citizens, including victims of crime.
40th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power, reaffirming global standards and the enduring relevance of victim-centered justice.

About

Victim Support Europe (VSE) spearheads a pivotal initiative termed “The Year of Victims’ Rights,” marking a significant milestone in the advocacy for victims of crime across Europe. This year-long endeavour, driven by VSE and its 80 member organisations, aims at advancing the cause of victims’ rights through three core objectives: universality, progress, and engagement. Culminating in a special event scheduled for November 2025 in collaboration with the UNODC, this initiative will unveil strategic pathways and visionary ideas for the future enhancement of victims’ rights across the continent.

Under the leadership of VSE, together with partners, ”The Year of Victims’ Rights” has three goals:

1 – Promoting universality and indivisibility
2 – Looking to the future
3 – Bolstering the comprehensive victim support ecosystem

Our seven key asks are:

One – Advance understanding and action towards recognizing the universality of victims’ rights, acknowledge victim support as an essential component of health and justice, and foster the activism associated with these efforts.

Two – Ensure victims are included and at the center of the EU response to crime, security, and justice, and reflected across all EU policies including mental health, education, economy, digitalization, and global affairs.

Three – Mainstream the societal necessity of establishing and advancing all-crime (generic) support services.

Four – Ensure victims are effectively and adequately supported, by requiring Member States to establish national frameworks for comprehensive support and safe justice systems.

Five – Introduce robust legislation and policies for all victims of crime at the EU level and ensuring they are fully implemented by Member States.

Six – Foresee sufficient and consistent (not project-based) budget for efforts that affect all victims of crime.

Seven – Foresee sufficient and consistent (not project-based) budget for efforts that affect all victims of crime.

The year 2025 holds profound historical significance in the landscape of victims’ rights within the European Union (EU). Forty years prior, on 29th November 1985, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power, laying foundational principles for the protection and support of victims.

Moreover, 2025 marks the 35th anniversary of Victim Support Europe (VSE), an esteemed network committed to ensuring that victims of crime receive the rights and support they deserve, regardless of their circumstances or location within Europe. From its modest origins as a coalition of passionate professionals striving for positive change in the victims’ field, VSE has evolved into a robust non-profit organisation serving over 3 million victims annually.

Four key figures from the victim support sector give their thoughts on what 2025, a pivotal year in the history of victims’ rights, will bring.

Timeline & Key Activities

The ‘Year of Victims’ Rights’ campaign comprises of the following activities:

Monthly Thematic Spotlights

Each month in 2025, we will place a spotlight on a wide range of victims’ rights issues, enshrined in the EU Victims’ Rights Directive, in need of concrete and urgent action from States and other duty bearers (based on our BENEVICT findings). Editable resources can be found below:

Victims' Voices

A curated collection of stories telling the year-long commemoration of victims’ rights (highlighting the existing gaps and solutions based on BeneVict report). All these moments sought to increase knowledge on the universality and indivisibility of victims’ rights, especially among young people, inspire people to create a movement of shared humanity while empowering them to fight for their rights and take action. View ‘Victims’ Voices’ here.

Victims' Rights 40 Countdown

Our 40 countdown to Victims’ Rights Special Event will feature information to inform, inspire and generate action for victims’ rights. Each countdown day will feature a speaker from the final event.

When the countdown is at an end, the final special event will feature the pledges and look to the future of victims’ rights in the EU. The final event will be dedicated to celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the UN’s Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power and will take place in November 2025.

Victim Support Award

Conducted at the VSE Annual Conference 2025, this award will be given to our members who consistently show up for all victims of crime – no matter the victim, no matter the crime.

Parliamentarians Platform for Victims' Rights

Everyone has a stake in the advancement of victims’ rights and can play a part. The Year of Victims’ Rights Initiative will seek support by MEPs from every member State through the offline events.

MEPs have a crucial role to play in the initiative and are cornerstones of national victims’ rights protection systems with links to national victims’ rights institutions, civil society, victim rights’ defenders and grass roots organisations. They are critical to ensuring governments’ compliance with EU victims’ rights obligations and in translating those into national legislation and policies. The addition of parliamentarian voices as part of The Year of Victims’ Rights Initiative boosts the call for victims’ rights to stay front of the EU agenda.

In this milestone year, MEPs will follow-up on the pledges made for EU elections 2024 to further the promise of victims’ rights for all.

The Parliamentarians Platform can be found on our website here.

Final Campaign Event: 28.11.2025

Check out our final campaign event More Than Words: Turning Commitment into Real Change for Victims!

MEPs

Who have committed to advance victims’ rights

Andreas Schieder
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament/Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs
Catarina Martins
The Left in the European Parliament/Bloco de Esquerda
Elisabeth Grossmann
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament/Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs
Giorgos Georgiou
The Left in the European Parliament/Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL)
Langensiepen Katrin
Group of the Greens/Bündnis 90 – Die Grünen
Liesbet Sommen
Christian Democratic and Flemish
Merja Kyllönen
The Left in the European Parliament/Left Alliance
Noichl Maria
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament/Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands
Saskia Bricmont
Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Thomas Waitz
Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance