Police victim protection
All district police authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia deploy specially trained police officers for police victim protection. The aim is to do better justice to victims after a crime both inside and outside of criminal proceedings, to promote trusting cooperation and to quickly provide suitable support services.
Victim protection and victim support are integral parts of police work in North Rhine-Westphalia. Police dealings with victims of crime and accidents are based on three principles:
- Taking into account the special exceptional situation in which victims of crime and traffic accidents find themselves
- Informing victims about their rights and the course of any subsequent proceedings
- Providing adequate support services
The main task of police officers working in victim protection is to initiate and support networks with support facilities at a regional level, such as women's shelters, women's counseling centers and women's aid centers.e.g. with women's shelters, women's counseling centers, the "Weißer Ring e.V.", drug counseling centers, churches and other institutions.
Competent and effective cooperation has thus been established in many places at local and regional level, in which the care administration, the judiciary, specialist therapeutic advice centers and others also participate.
Finding help quickly
The police advice service has summarized all victim information on the offences, rights as a victim, compensation options and the course of criminal proceedings.
Detailed information on police victim protection and victim support, the principles of victim protection and the functions of the victim protection officers can be found on the following websites: