Annual Conference 2015 “Victims of Crime in Europe: the future is now!” which will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, from 13 to 14 May 2015 at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. It is the commemorative conference of the Portuguese Association for Victim Support’s (APAV) 25th anniversary and the 25th Annual Conference of Victim Support Europe.
The aim of the conference is to explore, from the perspective of victims and practitioners including judges, prosecutors, police and policy officials:
The development of victims’ rights over the last 25 years; and
The challenges and best practice faced in implementing EU victims’ rights with a particular focus on:
The right to participation and information;
The right to protection;
The right to safeguards in Restorative Justice;
The right to victim support services;
Assisting victims with specific needs;
The financial costs to the victim (expenses, legal aid, compensation);
Prevention and unreported crime.
The Conference will bring together Member States’ representatives, judicial practitioners, State authorities, academics and victim support practitioners to discuss in particular the difficulties and successes in the implementation of the EU Directive on victims’ rights and to reflect upon developments in the field of victims’ rights and the challenges that remain to be addressed.