‘victim’ means:

‘family members’ means the spouse, the person who is living with the victim in a committed intimate relationship, in a joint household and on a stable and continuous basis, the relatives in direct line, the siblings and the dependants of the victim;

‘child’ means any person below 18 years of age;

‘restorative justice’ means any process whereby the victim and the offender are enabled, if they freely consent, to participate actively in the resolution of matters arising from the criminal offence through the help of an impartial third party.

to limit the number of family members who may benefit from the rights set out in this Directive taking into account the individual circumstances of each case; and

in relation to paragraph (1)(a)(ii), to determine which family members have priority in relation to the exercise of the rights set out in this Directive.

provide victims with the information referred to in Article 4(1);

offer emotional support;

refer victims to relevant services, including general and specialist support services or specialist helplines, if needed.

the type of support they can obtain and from whom, including, where relevant, basic information about access to medical support, any specialist support, including psychological support, and alternative accommodation;

the procedures for making complaints with regard to a criminal offence and their role in connection with such procedures;

how and under what conditions they can obtain protection, including protection measures;

how and under what conditions they can access legal advice, legal aid and any other sort of advice;

how and under what conditions they can access compensation;

how and under what conditions they are entitled to interpretation and translation;

if they are resident in a Member State other than that where the criminal offence was committed, any special measures, procedures or arrangements, which are available to protect their interests in the Member State where the first contact with the competent authority is made;

the available procedures for making complaints where their rights are not respected by the competent authority operating within the context of criminal proceedings;

the contact details for communications about their case;

the available restorative justice services;

how and under what conditions expenses incurred as a result of their participation in the criminal proceedings can be reimbursed.

prisons, detention centres and holding cells for suspects and accused persons;

specialised detention and accommodation facilities for third-country nationals who are staying illegally in the Member State concerned, including for the purpose of preparing their return and removal;

facilities for applicants and beneficiaries of international protection;

any other form of public or private institution which the victim is not permitted to leave or is not in a position to leave at will such as specialised accommodation centres for persons with disabilities, children and elderly people.

informed of the possibility that their personal data might be disclosed to the offender in accordance with Article 21(3) in order to enable the offender to exercise their right of defence, and

provided with an opportunity to express their views on that possibility.

any decision not to proceed with or to end an investigation or not to prosecute the offender;

the time and place of the trial, and the nature of the charges against the offender;

any decision to prosecute the offender;

on the availability of protection measures, including protection orders;

on the role of the victim in criminal proceedings in accordance with national rules, including, where applicable, on the possibility of becoming a party in such proceedings;

on applicable rules on claiming and obtaining compensation.

any final judgment in a trial;

information enabling the victim to know about the state of the criminal proceedings, unless in exceptional cases the proper handling of the case may be adversely affected by such notification.

information, advice and support relevant to the rights of victims, including relating to accessing national compensation schemes for criminal injuries, accessing legal advice, including on legal aid, and relating to their role in criminal proceedings, including preparation for attendance at the trial;

information about or direct referral to any relevant specialist support services in place;

emotional support;

psychological support or, where psychological support is not available, a referral to services that can provide psychological support;

advice relating to financial and practical issues arising from the crime;

unless otherwise provided by other public or private services, advice relating to the risk and prevention of secondary and repeat victimisation, of intimidation and of retaliation.

shelters or any other appropriate interim accommodation for victims in need of a safe place due to an imminent risk of secondary and repeat victimisation, of intimidation and of retaliation;

targeted and integrated support, as well as information on and, where appropriate, a referral to services providing medical and forensic examinations, which can include comprehensive medical healthcare services, including sexual and reproductive healthcare services, in accordance with national law, and information on and, where appropriate, a referral to social and psychological counselling, including trauma care, for victims with specific needs, such as victims of sexual violence, victims of gender-based violence, including violence against women and domestic violence falling within the scope of Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 1 ), victims of trafficking in human beings, victims of organised crime, victims with disabilities, victims of exploitation, victims of hate crime, victims of terrorism, victims of torture, victims of enforced disappearance and victims of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or the crime of aggression as defined in Articles 6, 7, 8 and 8bis of the Statute of the International Criminal Court.

the provision of information referred to in Article 4;

medical examinations;

emotional, social and psychological support;

administrative assistance;

the reporting of criminal offences;

individual assessment referred to in Article 22;

video recording of interviews referred to in Article 24(1), point (a).

right to interpretation or translation under Article 7(1) and (3);

right to be heard under Article 10; and

right to legal aid under Article 13.

the restorative justice services are used only if they are in the interest of the victim, subject to any safety considerations, and are based on the victim's free and informed consent, which may be withdrawn at any time;

before agreeing to participate in the restorative justice process, the victim is provided with full and unbiased information about that process and the potential outcomes as well as information about the procedures for supervising the implementation of any agreement;

the offender has acknowledged the basic facts of the case;

any agreement is arrived at voluntarily and may be taken into account in any further criminal proceedings;

discussions in restorative justice processes that are not conducted in public are confidential and are not subsequently disclosed, except with the agreement of the parties or as required by national law due to an overriding public interest.

take a statement from the victim immediately after the complaint with regard to the criminal offence is made to the competent authority;

hear victims who are resident in another Member State by videoconference or other audiovisual transmission in accordance with the Convention established by the Council in accordance with Article 34 of the Treaty on European Union, on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Member States of the European Union ( 2 ), signed on 29 May 2000, and with Directive 2014/41/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 3 );

facilitate the participation in the criminal proceedings of victims who are resident in another Member State through videoconferencing or other distance communication technology, to the extent possible under Union and national law and in accordance with the victim’s role in the criminal proceedings.

the personal characteristics of the victim, including relevant experiences of discrimination, including discrimination based on intersectional grounds, such as gender, including gender identity, age, disability, residence status, religion or belief, language, racial, social or ethnic origin, and sexual orientation;

the type or nature of the crime;

the circumstances of the crime;

the victim’s relationship to and the risks emanating from the offender.

victims who have suffered considerable harm due to the severity or to repetition of the crime;

victims who have suffered a crime committed with a bias or discriminatory motive which could, in particular, be related to their personal characteristics;

victims whose relationship to and dependence on the offender make them particularly vulnerable.

the risk of violent behaviour;

the risk of bodily harm;

the risk of the use of weapons;

links to or involvement in a group of organised crime;

drug or alcohol abuse;

child abuse;

mental health issues;

behaviour of stalking; or

expression of threats or hate speech.

interviews with the victim being carried out in premises designed or adapted for that purpose;

interviews with the victim being carried out by or through professionals trained for that purpose;

all interviews with the victim being conducted by the same persons unless this is contrary to the good administration of justice;

all interviews with victims of sexual violence or of gender-based violence, including violence against women and domestic violence falling withing the scope of Directive (EU) 2024/1385, unless conducted by a prosecutor or a judge, being conducted by a person of the same sex as the victim, if the victim so wishes, provided that the course of the criminal proceedings will not be prejudiced.

measures to avoid visual contact between victims and offenders including during the giving of evidence, by appropriate means including the use of communication technology;

measures to ensure that the victim may be heard in the courtroom without being present, in particular through the use of appropriate communication technology;

measures to avoid unnecessary questioning concerning the victim’s private life not related to the criminal offence, including the victim’s sexual orientation, gender, including gender identity, or past sexual conduct; and

measures allowing a hearing to take place without the presence of the public.

continuous or temporary presence of law enforcement authorities or other bodies providing physical protection in accordance with national law;

barring, restraining or protection orders to provide protection for victims against any acts of violence, in accordance with national law;

access to shelters and other appropriate interim accommodation, in accordance with national law.

in criminal investigations, all interviews with the child victim may be audiovisually recorded and such recorded interviews may be used as evidence in criminal proceedings;

in criminal investigations and proceedings, in accordance with the role of victims in the relevant criminal justice system, competent authorities appoint a special representative for child victims where, according to national law, the holders of parental responsibility are precluded from representing the child victim as a result of a conflict of interest between them and the child victim, or where the child victim is unaccompanied or separated from the family;

where the child victim has the right to a lawyer, he or she has the right to legal advice and representation, in his or her own name, in proceedings where there is, or there could be, a conflict of interest between the child victim and the holders of parental responsibility;

the child’s right to be heard and the best interests of the child are ensured in criminal investigations and proceedings, in accordance with Article 10.

the exchange of best practices;

consultation in individual cases; and

assistance to European networks working on matters directly relevant to victims' rights.