From left to right: Wassim Mukdad, Victim Witness; Katarzyna Janicka-Pawlowska, Commission Coordinator on Victims Rights; Larisa Spahić, VSE Victim Support Expert; Levent Altan, VSE Director
On 17 March 2026, the High-Level Extended Plenary Meeting of the EU Victims’ Rights Platform took place at the European Commission’s Berlaymont building in Brussels. The event gathered key stakeholders from EU institutions, national authorities, and civil society to reflect on recent legislative developments and shape the future direction of victims’ rights policy in Europe.
The meeting focused on two central objectives: presenting the outcomes of negotiations on the revised Victims’ Rights Directive and discussing priorities for the upcoming EU Strategy on Victims’ Rights (2026–2030). Throughout the day, participants engaged in high-level discussions on strengthening victims’ access to information, protection, and support, as well as addressing emerging challenges such as online crime, terrorism, and core international crimes.
Victim Support Europe (VSE) was also represented at the event. Executive Director Levent Altan took part as a speaker, highlighting the crucial role of victims’ helplines and support organisations in ensuring that rights translate into real, accessible services. His intervention highlighted the importance of sustainable, well-coordinated support systems across Europe, while also underscoring the relevance of Victim Support Europe’s Minimum Standards for 116 006 helplines, which continue to serve as an important reference point for ensuring high-quality, accessible, and consistent support for victims across Member States.
Deputy Director Aleksandra Ivankovic also attended, contributing to discussions and strengthening engagement with EU stakeholders. Behind the scenes, VSE victim support experts Larisa Spahic and VSE volunteer, psychologist An Verlest played a vital role in preparing and supporting victims participating in the event, ensuring their voices were meaningfully and safely included.
One of the most powerful aspects of the meeting was the central role given to victims’ testimonies. The personal accounts shared by Ailbhe Griffith and Wassim Mukdad, delivered in person, were particularly impactful. Their testimonies reminded all participants that beyond legal frameworks and policy discussions, victims’ rights are about real people, real experiences, and the urgent need for justice, recognition, and support. A third testimony, delivered via video by a Ukrainian victim, further reinforced the importance of addressing victims’ needs in the context of ongoing conflicts and mass victimisation.
These testimonies anchored the discussions throughout the day, emphasising that future policies must remain firmly victim-centred and responsive to lived realities.
The event also marked an important moment of transition and appreciation. Special thanks were extended to Katarzyna Janicka-Pawlowska, the European Commission’s Victims’ Rights Coordinator, for her outstanding leadership and close collaboration with Victim Support Europe and its members. As this meeting marked her final day in the role, participants, including VSE, expressed their gratitude for her dedication and wished her every success in her new position.
At the same time, warm congratulations were extended to Tommaso Chiamparino, who will take on the role of the new EU Victims’ Rights Coordinator at a crucial time for advancing victims’ rights across the European Union. VSE looks forward with confidence to continuing the strong and constructive cooperation established with the European Commission, and is committed to working closely with the new leadership to further strengthen victims’ rights and support systems across Europe.
As the EU moves towards implementing the revised Directive and developing the next Strategy, the meeting reaffirmed a shared commitment: ensuring that victims’ rights are not only recognised in law, but effectively realised in practice across all Member States.
