The Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office is introducing new practices to support victims and witnesses

In the first phase, the Center will work with witnesses and victims of war crimes, and later the circle of support will be extended to all victims of violent crimes. In Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the practice of creating appropriate centers for solving the issue of post-war support for victims and witnesses of war crimes has begun to take shape.

Thousands of Ukrainians need the support of the Coordination Center

There are currently more than 112,000 crimes related to Russian aggression recorded in Ukraine, including more than 93,000 war crimes. In order to accumulate information about war crimes, a unique resource warcrimes.gov.ua was created, with the help of which witnesses and victims send information about the events they witnessed, while it is possible to indicate the date and place of the event, if available, by adding photos and video material. So far, the portal has received more than 20,000 messages. So, 20,000 times people found the courage to speak about the horrors they experienced and testify before the public and the state about the war crimes committed by the occupiers.

It is necessary to understand that behind each of these messages is hidden a difficult human fate, physical trauma, damaged psyche. There are also cases where a person is not able to impartially participate in the investigative or procedural actions that accompany the respective implementations. Such people need a guide so that they can return to their own lived hell and come back out of it again. This is exactly the level of support for which the newly formed Support Coordination Center is designed.

 

 

Changes in the approach to the investigation of criminal proceedings in Ukraine

The primary task of the criminal procedure is not only to bring the culprit to justice and prosecute persons for the committed criminal acts, but by no means work for the purpose of reporting.

 

All actors in the field of criminal justice must protect the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of its participants, including victims and witnesses. During the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the Prosecutor's Office encountered a large number of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, etc. Such challenges required changes in approaches to the investigation of criminal proceedings, it was understood that there are areas in which the work of the Prosecutor's Office needs to be modernized and reformatted, so that victims and witnesses receive the appropriate level of assistance.

Who are the coordinators and how can I help?

Coordinators of the Coordination Center will be the link between victims, witnesses and the state in criminal-legal proceedings. Employees of the Center will work closely with investigators, prosecutors and the court.

What can be expected from the coordinator? For example, coordinators should inform their clients in a timely and accurate manner about their rights in criminal proceedings - not in the context of familiar reminders of rights and obligations, which is necessary in the materials of the proceedings, but in the context of explanations in the proceedings in comprehensible language about "What, where, when" and what will happen to people in each of the situations, as well as providing information on the state of the pre-criminal investigation and trial to the extent established by the criminal procedure legislation.

In addition, the aim is to help victims and witnesses in obtaining legal advice and representation, including referral to centers for the provision of free legal aid, their referral to relevant services for the provision of psychological, medical and social assistance, assistance in submitting applications for receiving payments to victims and witnesses , who need urgent financial assistance.

In the context of the individual assessment, special attention will be paid to elderly people and people with special needs, victims and witnesses of sexual violence in the conflict, victims and witnesses of torture, victims who suffered serious physical injuries, family members of people whose death was directly caused by a crime. Children who are victims and witnesses of war crimes are always considered a vulnerable category.

The center will follow the victims and witnesses on the long road to the international court and the process against the Russian Federation

In general, the question should be asked - shouldn't all questions be closed primarily by the prosecutor or investigator, or finally by another state agency or non-state organization?

We must be aware that the legal and real distance in our war is not a sprint, but a marathon, the goal of which can be seen near the international courts. When the case is sent to the national court, it ceases to be a priority for the investigator, when the verdict becomes final - for the prosecutor, and the person remains with all the pain that the enemy caused him and experienced again and again during the investigation and trial. It should be the state's responsibility not to leave a person alone at any stage, but to "follow him on that path" and understand who will help him and in what way in the future.

The task of the Coordination Center is not only personal support, but also the coordination of the efforts of all capable and interested subjects, so the story of creating an interdepartmental, including referral, support mechanism is a great challenge for everyone.