VICTORIIA

In September 2017, we launched a new project – Best Practices in Victims’ Support: Referrals, Information, Individual Assessment. 

The major objectives of the Project are twofold: to ensure that victims of crime in Lithuania, Romania, Italy and Portugal have access to and are offered tailored victim support services suited to their needs and that the results of the Project will be available and transferrable to situations across Europe. 

The Project’s research focused on both the national situation and European practices. By ensuring that both datasets are gathered, we were confident of developing tools which reflect best practices whilst understanding the national agenda sufficiently to adapt tools as appropriate and to achieve buy-in from stakeholders.

The Project started with an empirical research in the partner countries of Italy, Lithuania, Portugal and Romania to determine to what extent and how referral, assessment and information provision already occurs within victim support organisations and the police. Whilst the primary goal of this research was information gathering, it also played an important role in helping partner organisations to develop new networks and relationships with State and non-state actors. 

At the same time, research was carried out on European practices. European research was based on a funneling approach. In this way online research coupled with basic questions to victim support organisations and key partners in the EU member states enabled a first assessment of the situation in different countries. Where promising practices wereidentified, research was narrowed to those countries and entities having the best access to the information.

Based on the above research, information have then be synthesized to present best practices relating to referral mechanisms, needs assessment and information provision.

For more information visit the Project website.

Deliverables of the project:

Map of victims support resources in Lithuania, Italy, Portugal and Romania: https://info.victoriia.eu/map/?fbclid=IwAR31-239sd5ulH6mnVmhKQXzQTkhlFavEcxHOCxLo2YBpxy2PSaeHOnCGA8

On 20th February 2020, the partners organised organised a final conference to present the results of the two-year project. The event was hosted by the Permanent Representation of Romania to the EU. Powerpoint presentations of speakers:

Partners of the VICToRIIA Project:

Centre for Crime Prevention in Lithuania, Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV), Centre for Legal Resources (Romania), Associazone LIBRA ONLUS (Italy), Police Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau, Vilnius City Municipality Administration, Vilnius Institute for Advanced Studies (VILIAS), and Victim Support Europe.