Victim protection
Do you know the term "joint plaintiff"?
Have you suffered physical, mental or material damage as a result of a crime?
The
first steps usually take place automatically. Going to the doctor, filing a complaint with the police, but what then?
Most of the victims do not know what to do next.
In the oral hearing, those affected feel that they have been victimized again if, without their own lawyer, they face the injuring party and his defense counsel as well as the representative of the public prosecutor's office and, last but not least, the court and take on a mere passive role as "personified evidence".
My advice: seek advice on whether you can appear as a joint plaintiff with your own lawyer.
Because for a victim of a crime, especially sexual offenses, life changes through and after the crime. The physical and possibly also psychological consequences are sometimes far-reaching.
Legal assistance is essential in these cases and it is specially effective through what is known as a secondary action. The secondary action gives you the opportunity to slip out of your mostly very passive role and, as an active participant in the criminal proceedings, to take on a role that has many of its own procedural rights.
As lawyers, we can provide our services at different levels enforcing different procedures in the context of the investigation and criminal proceedings, among other things,
- Accompany and support you in both police and public prosecution as well as in judicial interrogation and in criminal proceedings,
Legal assistance is essential in these cases and it is specially effective through what is known as a secondary action. The secondary action gives you the opportunity to slip out of your mostly very passive role and, as an active participant in the criminal proceedings, to take on a role that has many of its own procedural rights.
As lawyers, we can provide our services at different levels enforcing different procedures in the context of the investigation and criminal proceedings, among other things,
- Accompany and support you in both police and public prosecution as well as in judicial interrogation and in criminal proceedings,
- Request access to files and thus monitor the status of the proceedings,
- Submit applications,
- Make sure that the perpetrator has to stay away from you,
- Submit evidence and question the accused as well as witnesses and experts in the context of the criminal proceedings and
- Obtain insolvency-proof titles.
In addition, there is the possibility of asserting claims under the Victims Compensation Act. In the context of an adhesion procedure, damages and claims for pain and suffering can already be enforced during the criminal proceedings.
Also, in many cases there is the possibility of having the costs of an accessory prosecution as well as those of a witness representative financed by the state treasury. As part of an initial consultation, we will be happy to talk to you about this and evaluate the options.
So move out of the purely passive role of a witness in criminal proceedings and you will actually be perceived as a victim of a crime. We support you and are by your side!
In addition, there is the possibility of asserting claims under the Victims Compensation Act. In the context of an adhesion procedure, damages and claims for pain and suffering can already be enforced during the criminal proceedings.
Also, in many cases there is the possibility of having the costs of an accessory prosecution as well as those of a witness representative financed by the state treasury. As part of an initial consultation, we will be happy to talk to you about this and evaluate the options.
So move out of the purely passive role of a witness in criminal proceedings and you will actually be perceived as a victim of a crime. We support you and are by your side!
Arrange a consultation in our office and call us on 0281/21015.
