National Meetings
Throughout years, VSE continued to strengthen its contacts within countries across Europe. While context requires a particular approach to improving victim support services in each country, many face similar problems. A combination of individual and collective needs, and solutions from foundations laid in 2010s allowed us to move forward in recent years in the development of victim support in Member States. One of the instruments we use for that is national meetings.
2025
National Meeting on Victim Between Care and Justice in Verona, Italy
Victim Support Europe participated in the conference “Victims Between Care and Justice, in Italy and Europe” held on 28–29 March 2025. Rosa Jansen, President of the Board of Directors of VSE and Antonio De Martin, Project Manager at Victim Support Europe, shared key insights on:
- The challenges and opportunities in strengthening the victim support system in Italy.
- Lessons from across Europe—highlighting how tested models and best practices contributed to building a more effective and sustainable support network. • The critical role of EU policies in shaping national victim support structures.
His intervention, “Strengthening the Victim Support System in Italy: The European Perspective,” provided valuable insights for policymakers, professionals, and advocates working to improve victim support services.
National Meeting in Dublin, Ireland
Victim Support Europe supported the organisation of a National Meeting with AdVIC [Advocates for Victims of Homicide], on the 20th February 2025. This meeting discussed national strategy for victim support in Ireland, the pivotal role of the Victims Commissioner, the importance of fostering effective cooperation and coordination among relevant stakeholders and ensuring access to psychosocial support for all victims of crime.
Board member Vice President Jérôme Moreau and VSE Junior Policy Manager Efthymis Antonopoulos attended the meeting representing VSE. Jérôme Moreau highlighted the pivotal role of France Victimes in coordinating victim support services across France, especially following the 2015 terrorist attacks. He emphasised the organisation’s interdisciplinary, nationwide approach to providing legal, psychological, and social assistance through a network of over 1,200 offices. France Victimes also ensures tailored support for vulnerable populations, maintains service standards, and promotes accountability and consistency across its operations. This was to showcase the importance of cross-sectoral cooperation when providing support to Victims.
2024
National Meeting in Brussels, Belgium
The National Meeting, held in Brussels, focused on improving the balance between collective emergency responses and individual care for those returning from conflict zones. Recent evacuations from Lebanon and Gaza underscored a critical gap—while initial psychosocial support is often delivered in group settings, longer-term individual needs are frequently overlooked. Participants highlighted the importance of mapping out existing support processes, involving specialist partners, and strengthening coordination between organisations responsible for victim support, trauma care, and practical assistance. Further discussed was the aim of establishing a national framework for repatriation in Belgium.
2023
National Meeting in Sweden
In November 2023, VSE and Victim Support Sweden came together with partners to discuss support improvements in Sweden’s victim support system, particularly around coordination between generic and specialist services and the role of the Board of Justice (BOJ) as well as the upcoming amendments to the VRD.
With the amendments to the Victims’ Rights Directive (VRD) under consultation, this was seen as a timely opportunity to influence Sweden’s adoption of the Victims’ Rights Bill. Plans were set for a focused national meeting in November, targeting key civil servants and operational stakeholders. Examples from other Member States—such as police referral systems in the Netherlands and the centralised model in France—were to be highlighted. The aim was to push for agreement on a lead authority (likely the BOJ) and ensure the victim remains at the centre of any reforms.
2022
National Meeting in Brussels, Belgium
A national meeting was held on 23 June 2022 in Brussels, co-organised by Victim Support Europe (VSE) and the Belgian Ministry of Health. The focus was on addressing the challenges faced by cross-border victims of emergencies, including Belgian victims abroad and foreign victims in Belgium. The Belgian victim support system, which involves various services, was found to lack seamless coordination, especially for cross-border situations. The meeting highlighted the complexities, such as language barriers and the difficulty foreign victims face in accessing support after being repatriated.
One discussion looked at an incident where foreign victims faced additional challenges due to language barriers, lack of immediate information, and coordination issues. The meeting concluded that better cooperation between national and international services, clearer roles, and faster communication were needed, particularly in the acute phase of a crisis. Several solutions, including more coordinated victim support systems and clearer referral processes, were suggested to improve support for cross-border victims in the future.
National Meeting in Zagreb, Croatia
Participants met to review the state of victims’ rights in Croatia and share updates since May 2022. The Ministry of Justice raised concerns about collaboration between the national victim support network and external groups, particularly Bijeli Krug from Split, which remained outside the network. Issues around funding, limited mandates, and gaps in court-based support services were also discussed. Both the Ministry and NGO representatives agreed on the need to improve regional coverage and enhance coordination between NGO and court-based services.
The Ministry and the Association for Victim and Witness Support expressed interest in hosting the VSE annual conference in 2024. The VSE representative encouraged a formal application, with further talks planned to assess the full scope of commitments involved. Updates on the direct referral pilot project were shared — it was considered successful and supported for national rollout. While consent-based referrals appeared feasible under the current framework, challenges remained for non-consent-based options. The Ministry pledged to continue exploring legal solutions.
National Meeting in Dublin, Ireland
A national online meeting took place on 13 July 2022 to explore establishing a coordinated network of victim support services in Ireland. Participants included representatives from Irish and European victim support organisations, as well as Croatia’s Women’s Room. The Croatian model was presented as a potential framework, highlighting how their Ministry of Justice had expanded a collaborative network across 17 counties, with clear standards and funding for organisations offering practical and emotional support.
The group discussed gaps in Ireland’s current system, especially the lack of general crime support and the fragmented nature of existing services. Two main aims were agreed: to lobby the government for funding and to deliver consistent, high-quality support to all victims. There was consensus on the need for a formal network to share resources and highlight service gaps to policymakers. Plans were made to re-engage the Victims’ Rights Alliance (VRA) and organise a follow-up meeting to define next steps and a clear timeline.
National Meeting in Mantova, Italy
In October 2022, Victim Support Europe (VSE) and Italian partners Libra Association, Dafne Mantova Network and the Dafne National Network, co-organised a National Meeting on Why Support to Victims Starts with Good Information. This event focused on victims’ rights, protection, and the need for clear, accessible information. Discussions highlighted the importance of the EU legal framework, VSE’s communication goals, and the 116 006 European helpline as an example of best practice. The Italian version of the INFOVICTIMS project and brochure, aimed at simplifying legal information for victims, was also presented.
The second day centred on coordinating national victim support services and integrating restorative justice approaches. Representatives from justice institutions, legal bodies, and regional authorities exchanged views, ultimately agreeing on a shared direction and closer collaboration between stakeholders.
2021
National Meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania
Klaipeda Social and Psychological Assistance Center, the Lithuanian Center for Crime Prevention and the Human Rights Committee of the Lithuanian Parliament organised an International Roundtable ‘One Million Questions about the Support for Victims of Crime’, held in Vilnius, Lithuania on 17 December 2021.
The event aimed to formulate guidelines for strengthening the system of victim support and the structure of cooperation among institutions engaged in the field. Next to Lithuanian government officials and victim support providers, VSE was present to support the event, as well as our colleague from APAV to offer the Portuguese perspective on this matter.
National Meeting in Napels, Italy
Rete Dafne Italia organised a conference “Restorative Justice and Victims of Crime” held in Naples, Italy, on 25 and 26 November 2021. Victim Support Europe presented its views on restorative justice and talked about the EU’s perspective on victim support services.
2019
National Meeting in Split, Croatia
Alike in 2018, in the margins of organising the regional event in Croatia, it appeared as very important to support Croatian victim support organisations towards improving the services provided to victims, in particular in view of the uneven level of services provided in different regions. Hence, the second Croatian national meeting took place in advance of the regional meeting. It brought together more than 30 participants, representatives of 20 Croatian organisations, including representatives of the Government, local authorities, and numerous NGOs involved in the provision of victim support in the country.
2018
National meeting in Split, Croatia
In 2018, VSE organised a multi-agency national meeting in Croatia. The meeting was organised in partnership with Bijeli Krug for Croatian organisations including NGOs and state authorities. Relatively unique in the country, the meeting offered an opportunity to discuss how to strengthen rights and services in the country and how to improve co-operation between the many actors.
Round Table Meeting “A multi-disciplinary approach to implementing victims’ rights and services in Greece”
Victim Support Europe in collaboration with the European Public Law Organisation, the European Anti-Violence Network, the Centre for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, the Smile of the Child and Panteion University held a multi-stakeholder meeting exploring how the State and NGOs can work together to improve the situation of victims of crime in Greece.
The aim of the meeting was to share perspectives and views on the implementation of the 2012 EU Directive (Victims’ Rights Directive) in Greece. This meeting was an opportunity to work together, through a frank, open and constructive dialogue, with the common aim of the better protection and support of victims of crime in Greece.
