Rights of crime victims

This page contains information on matters that crime victims have the right to be informed of by the authorities. The information that the victim is entitled to obtain may vary from one case to another depending on the victim's needs, personal circumstances and the nature of the offence. Contact details and links to further information are available at the end of this page.
Rights of crime victims in different languages

It is important that a crime victim reports the offence to the police. The sooner the report is filed, the greater are the chances for the police to solve the offence. The report can be filed, for example, by visiting a police department or electronically using the online service of the police. A victim of sexual violence may also report the offence at a Seri Support Centre for Victims of Sexual Assault. The victim has the right to receive a written confirmation of the report they have filed.

A crime victim may need medical assistance or other healthcare and social welfare services, such as emergency social services, hospital care, and physical and mental rehabilitation. Crime victims may use these services under the same conditions as all other clients. The Seri Support Centres help all people aged 16 or over who have experienced sexual violence regardless of their gender.

Many other organisations also provide support, advice and guidance for crime victims. Victim Support Finland provides assistance in connection with all kinds of offences and criminal proceedings, and they also provide guidance that is necessary for victims to be able to exercise their rights. Victims of intimate partner violence may seek protection and support at shelters, and help is also available by telephone and as outpatient services. In some municipalities, there is special support available for immigrant women and victims of sexual offences. There is also a separate assistance system for victims of human trafficking, where victims are admitted under certain conditions. If the victim consents to it, the police or another criminal investigation authority may forward their contact details to the assistance system, which will then contact the victim.

The victim may have a support person to assist them at the different stages of criminal proceedings. The victim themselves may choose the support person. Victim Support Finland provides trained support persons free of charge. Support persons are allowed to be present when the victim is being heard and in judicial proceedings, but their presence may be restricted in some situations.

Victims have the right to have a counsel to assist them when reporting an offence, being heard and attending judicial proceedings. The counsel may be an attorney-at-law, a public legal aid attorney or a licensed legal counsel.

Low- and middle-income earners may be granted legal aid at the expense of the State. In that case, the fee of the counsel is paid either in part or in full by the State. An application for legal aid can be submitted online or by delivering it to a legal aid office. The victim may also request a law office to apply for legal aid on their behalf.

The court may appoint a legal counsel or a support person for the victim, if the case concerns intimate partner violence, a sexual offence or a serious offence against the victim's life, health or liberty. In that case, the State pays the counsel's or support person's fee irrespective of the victim's income.

In some cases, the victim may be exposed to intimidation, retaliation or additional suffering due to the criminal proceedings. The victim should always inform the authorities if this happens. The authorities will assess whether the victim needs protection during the criminal investigation and judicial proceedings and which protection measures are required. The assessment will be carried out together with the victim, and the victim's personal characteristics and circumstances and the nature of the offence will be taken into account.

In some cases, the victim may be heard in judicial proceedings behind a screen, via video connection or without the defendant or public being present. The hearing of the victim may in some cases be video-recorded and the recording then be used as evidence in the judicial proceedings, for example if the victim is under 18 years of age.

In order to protect the privacy of the victim, the court may, under certain conditions, consider a criminal matter without any public being present and designate the trial documents and the judgment as non-disclosable to the extent necessary. The victim may request this at the court. The court may, in some cases, also decide that the identity of the victim must not be disclosed. This is possible, for example, in connection with sexual offences.

The court considers the trial arrangements and protection measures always on a case-by-case basis, taking into account that the rights of the defence must not be restricted. The decision of the court may thus deviate from an earlier assessment.

In serious threatening situations, the victim may apply for non-disclosure of contact details, non-disclosure for personal safety reasons, a restraining order or even a change of their name or personal identity code. Further information on these measures is provided by the relevant authorities and support services. Applying for a restraining order is free of charge. A legal counsel may be appointed free of charge for an applicant for a restraining order who is a victim of a serious offence. If a person protected by a restraining order moves to another EU Member State and feels that they will also need protection there, the person may request the court that issued the original restraining order to issue a European Protection Order.

In connection with criminal proceedings, the victim is entitled to claim that the perpetrator compensate the damages they have caused. The victim must state the damages and express their intention to claim compensation for them during the criminal investigation or in court at the latest. Compensation may be claimed, for instance, for lost or damaged property, medication costs and medical fees, pain and suffering, temporary or permanent harm, loss of income and, in some cases, mental suffering.

The victim may request the prosecutor to pursue a claim for damages on their behalf. In this case, the matter must be simple and clear and the victim must submit an invoice, receipt or other written account supporting the claim to the prosecutor. Most often, such a case concerns damage to property. The prosecutor will assess on a case-by-case basis whether they can pursue the claim for damages on behalf of the victim. If the court obliges the perpetrator to pay damages, the victim can either come to an agreement with the perpetrator on the payment arrangements or let an enforcement officer recover the payment.

The victim may also be entitled to receive compensation for damages from state funds. Compensation is applied for at the State Treasury and it is, as a rule, paid for personal injury and suffering. To be able to receive such compensation, the victim must have reported the offence to the police. If the matter is considered by a court, the victim must also claim compensation for damages from the perpetrator in the judicial proceedings. In individual cases, compensation may also be paid by an insurance company or the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela).
If the victim is invited to appear in court, they are usually entitled to compensation from state funds for the costs incurred from travelling to the court.

The victim may receive per diem allowance and compensation for their travel expenses and financial loss.

Everyone has the right to use Finnish or Swedish in a criminal investigation and in judicial proceedings. The Sami have the right to use the Sami language in their homeland. The authorities must provide interpretation when necessary. A victim speaking any other language has the right to use a language they can speak in all situations related to the investigation of an offence and in criminal proceedings where the prosecutor pursues the charge. Situations related to the investigation of an offence include reporting an offence and hearing the victim in a criminal investigation, for example. When necessary, the authorities must arrange interpretation into a language that the victim understands. Interpretation must also be arranged for a party who is a sign language user or when interpretation is necessary due to a sensory or speech disability of a party. The interpreter is subject to the obligation to remain silent. The interpreter's fee is paid by the Sta

The victim may request a translation of certain key documents in the matter. An oral translation of a document may be provided if it is not necessary, with regard to the legal safeguards for the victim, to provide a written translation of the document. In some cases, only a part of a document or a summary of it may be translated for the victim.

During the criminal investigation, the victim has the right to receive a translation of the written confirmation of the report of an offence, any decision to discontinue the criminal investigation and, where necessary, of another document that is essential in the matter. From the prosecutor, the victim has the right to receive a translation of a decision to waive charges.

Upon the victim’s request, the court must provide the victim with a translation of the judgment, a notice concerning the time and place of a hearing and, where necessary, of another document essential in the matter.

Mediation may be used in a criminal matter if both the victim and the suspect consent to it. In addition, it is required that the suspect confirms the main course of events and that mediation is in the best interests of the victim. Mediation is free of charge and always voluntary and it may, if any of the parties so desire, be discontinued at any stage. Trained voluntary mediators help the parties to a criminal matter discuss what has happened and agree on the compensation for any damages caused by the offence. This service is available at mediation offices throughout the country.

The victim has the right, upon request, to obtain information on the consideration of their matter, the time and place of any court hearing in the matter and the judgment issued in the criminal matter. In addition, the victim has the right to be informed about the criminal investigation authority's decision to discontinue the criminal investigation and the prosecutor's decision to waive charges.

Victims of certain serious offences have the right, upon request, to be notified when the prisoner or remand prisoner is released and if the prisoner escapes or, under certain conditions, exits the prison for some other reason. If a victim wishes to receive such a notification, they must inform the criminal investigation authority or prosecutor of this. The criminal investigation authority will provide further information on the matter.

The condition for issuing this notification to the victim is that the information is not assessed to pose a threat to the prisoner's or remand prisoner's life or health.

The criminal investigation authority provides the victim with more detailed information on the rights and obligations of the injured party in a hearing. The victim must, for example, describe the offence and any possible damages truthfully.

A victim may file a complaint concerning the conduct of a criminal investigation authority if the victim deems that the authority has acted erroneously or neglected their duties. A written complaint shall be submitted to the specific unit of the authority that is deemed to have acted erroneously or to a higher-ranking authority.

A complaint concerning the prosecutor's decision to waive charges may be submitted to the Prosecutor General, who has the right to take up a matter for a new consideration of charges. The victim may also file a complaint with the Prosecutor General concerning some other decision or conduct of the prosecutor that the victim deems erroneous.

In addition, the victim may file a complaint concerning the conduct of an authority with the Parliamentary Ombudsman or the Chancellor of Justice.

A victim may be provided with support and advice by the support services for crime victims even if the offence has been committed in another country.

If a person has become a victim of a crime in another EU Member State, the criminal investigation authority may, in certain cases, transfer the report of an offence or an already initiated criminal investigation to the authorities of the other EU Member State. Transferring the report of an offence requires, among other things, that the victim has not been able to file a report of an offence in the country where the offence was committed or that, in the case of a serious offence, the victim has not wanted to do so. In connection with serious offences, a transfer outside the EU may also be considered.

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Published 22.10.2024