Withholding knowledge about violence may lead to a court punishment, but hiding, and ignoring knowledge of violence may lead to serious consequences, including death.
TRUTH MUST NEVER BE A RISK
Telling the truth to support services for victims and witnesses must never be a risk. Employees at information and support services for victims and witnesses are strictly prohibited from discussing the content of your report or from any kind of influencing the victim/injured/witness. Support services are there to help you tell the truth during the entire criminal proceeding.
Reporting violence often means a victim’s salvation and preventing further violence.
One violent act often leads to another. Economic violence may lead to psychological consequences or may encourage violent behaviour, psychological violence may cause physical violence, one kind of physical violence may cause another, more severe kind of physical violence. Therefore, reporting violence is the first aid to a victim and a reaction that can prevent further violence.
Any type of violence leaves consequences on a victim, but also on their families and environment.
Reporting violence is the path towards the serving of justice.
Reporting violence can be completely anonymous. This is no prerequisite, only the path toward achievement of immediate, psychological, legal and material assistance. Whether you are the victim or a witness of violence, you have the right to support. Assistance and support do exist. A victim or a witness of violence have the right to different kinds of protection, assistance and support provided by different state bodies and institutions (police, healthcare, and educational institutions, prosecutor’s office, court, misdemeanour court, social services centre, legal aid and psychological support at the municipality and similar) and non-governmental organisations.
