Cooperation at the National and International Level in the Protection of Victims

Abstract

The respect for the victims' rights, the guarantee of their rights, and the participation of the victims in the criminal process have faced positive developments, especially after the justice reform. The changes in the legal acts carried out in 2017 sanctioned a number of rights for the victims of criminal offenses, previously unknown. The paper aims to address the rights of victims of criminal offenses from the perspective of national legislation and international standards, focusing on victims with special needs such as women, children, victims of trafficking, possible victims of trafficking, victims of sexual abuse, victims of domestic violence, etc. The paper aims to address the role of national and international institutions in protecting the rights of victims, cooperation, and coordination of work between them. The treatment of victims' rights in the criminal process is also analyzed from the perspective of international practice. Following this paper, there will be a wider treatment of national and international legal acts that sanction the rights of victims in criminal processes, their protection mechanisms, and inter-institutional cooperation at the national or international level in order to guarantee these rights.

Received: 16 September 2023 / Accepted: 21 October 2023 / Published: 23 November 2023