Join Us for the COVIS Final Conference
Victim Support Sweden and Victim Support Europe are proud to announce the final conference of the COVIS project, that will take place on 3 October 2024, in Brussels.
On the 3rd of October 2024, we will gather criminal justice professionals, decision makers and victim support practitioners from across Europe for our final conference “Serving justice – the immeasurable value of court based support”. The objective of the conference is to discuss the vital role and impact of victim support services in connection with criminal proceedings, both for individual victims/witnesses and for the criminal justice system as a whole. Key speakers include EC Coordinator for Victims´ Rights, Victims´ Commissioner for England & Wales, French Ministry of Justice and the Courts Service of Ireland. Criminal justice representatives and victim support practitioners from different European countries will also present examples of best practice to give inspiration how countries can better meet the needs of victims of connection with criminal proceedings, for instance through strong referral mechanisms to access support, individual needs assessment, protection measures and separate waiting rooms for victims in court. Finally, the event will look at how the criminal justice system can better acknowledge the impact of crime and trauma to ensure that victims and able to access justice in the aftermath of crime.
If you would like to learn more about victims´ experiences of participating in the criminal justice system, the vital role of court based support services for victims´ ability to access justice and how to provide a safer criminal justice process for victims of crime, please join us on the 3rd of October 2024.
Further conference details and a draft programme can be found here, register now by clicking here.
Once registered, you can book your travel and hotel. COVIS will reimburse you up to 550 EURO for travel, accommodation and subsistence. If you have any questions about the conference or the refunds, please contact malin.bengtsson@boj.se.
Please note that places are limited and registration operates on a first come, first serve basis.
We look forward to welcoming you in Brussels on October 3rd!
About the COVIS project
Since the autumn of 2022, Brottsofferjouren – Victim Support Sweden (SE), Portuguese Association for Victim Support – APAV (PT), Offerrådgivningen – Victim Support Denmark (DK), Rikosuhripäivystys – Victim Support Finland RIKU (FI), Victim Support at Court – V-SAC (IE) and Victim Support Europe (BE), have led a unique project funded by the European Justice Programme. The COVIS project (Court Based Victim and Witness Support) aims to identify, share and implement best practices for providing court based support services.
To date, the COVIS project has successfully conducted a comprehensive mapping study to identify availability of court based support services across the EU highlighting key factors and features for delivering high quality support to victims and witnesses in connection with criminal proceedings. Additionally, the project has facilitated international collaboration through study visits and webinars, enabling the exchange of best practices and practical solutions for organising and delivering court based support services. All information gathered and lessons learnt will be presented in an EU Handbook of Best Practice, including practical recommendations and guidance for delivering support services in court. With these efforts, the COVIS project aims to promote the rights of all victims and witnesses in connection with criminal proceedings and ensure that their right to information, support and protection are fulfilled in practice across the EU. By enhancing court based support services, the partnership seeks to create a safer court environment and empower victims and witnesses to participate more effectively in criminal proceedings, while maintaining their wellbeing, promoting recovery and minimising risk of secondary victimisation.
