Victim and Witness Support Service Croatia – project and activities

VWSS Croatia, Documenta- Center for Dealing with the Past, Centre for Peace Osijek and White Circle Croatia are implementing the project Rights, Support, Protection and Compensation for Victims of Crime. The project aims to establish a Central information point with information regarding criminal cases in order to enable the possibility of regular extraction of statistical data about the victims and the possibility to follow the procedures in individual cases.

• Future activities and events include: brochure on victims’ rights, Conference on February 22nd
• As a part if the project, partners issued a report on victims’ rights in Croatia: (attached)

National Call Centre for Victims of Crime

• Activities in December 2017
  • International Conference about gender based violence in Zagreb:
    • FIRST action: Coordinator of the National Call Centre Ana Senicnjak was a panelist and talked about the importance of collaboration and exchange of knowledge and practice between member of NGOs and institutions
    • More information about the conference and the project: http://www.firstaction.eu/international-conference/
  • Victim Support Europe visits the National Call Centre
    • In December, An Verelst visited the National Call Centre in Zagreb and discussed future plans with the coordinator of the helpline Maja Stahan
  • Meeting with the Ombudsperson for Gender Equality
    • In December, Maja Stahan had a meeting with the Ombudsperson for Gender Equality and discussed possible cooperation as well as the issue of gender based violence in Croatia
  • Project: “Don’t be my enemy- be my friend”, financed by the European Structural fond
    • Volunteers and the coordinators of the 116 006 line held an education about the importance of volunteering and civil activism for students of high school in Ludbreg
    • Little School of Solidarity
      • During winter breaks, 30 high school students came to Zagreb and learnt about solidarity, tolerance and discrimination

Reference Centers in Osijek and Vukovar

• Victim and Witness Support Service Croatia in 2017 finished with implementation of the project “4P – Right and Prevention – Prevention and Support for the Elderly and Disabled” financed by the Ministry of the demographics, family, youth and social policy of the Rep. of Croatia.
  • The purpose of the project: support for the elderly in terms of education and prevention of misuse of the lifelong support and contract for support until death
• Victim and Witness Support Service organized a round table: The Development of Victims and Witness Support System in Vukovar and Vukovar-Srijem County and the results of the

In December 2017., VWSSC participated in the work of the regular Annual VSE Meeting in Brussels.

• The Executive Director of the VWSSC, participated, together with a representative of the White circle – Split on 8th of December on a Conference on Cybercrime, piracy and new forms of criminality in Europe,
• They talked to Mrs.. Millquet, Counsellor to the President of the EC, Juncker about the standards of compensation and the provision of support to victims and witnesses in certain European countries with special emphasis on the Legal framework and practices in Republic of Croatia.

Future plans and activities include:

• Partners on a new project aimed on forming the national network of victim support organizations à implementation of the project starts on January 2018
• Events for February 22nd – EU Victims’ Day
• Awarness raising and imploring implementation of the Istanbul Convention