Working Section ”Fachstelle Opferschutz (Specialist Unit for Victim Protection)”

In a constitutional democracy victims of crime have the right of access to justice, information, protection and support. “Specialist Unit for Victim Protection” is intended to ensure those rights for all victims of crimes as well as the statutory provision in the directive 2012/29/EU. The main task of “Specialist Unit for Victim Protection” is the implementation of those rights on the level of Lower Saxony in the following fields of work:

• Information, Counselling and Support: Instigation of the Website

• Protection and Attendance: advancement of the comprehensive psychosocial court assistance and first aid in cases ofpsychic trauma in Lower Saxony

• Participation: advancement of autonomously forensic conservation of evidence

• Ensure Compensation: advancement of measures of compensation

• Access to justice, Research and Prevention: monitoring of the situation in Lower Saxony compared to international and national directives and conventions; sensitization and further education of all professions working in the criminal proceedings for special needs of victims and advancement of measures of prevention