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.

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.