European Parliament adopts major reform to strengthen rights of crime victims
Today, the European Parliament adopted the revised Victims’ Rights Directive, the most significant reform of EU victim-protection legislation in over a decade.
Renew Europe played a key role in shaping the outcome, focusing on three priorities: stronger rights for victims within criminal proceedings, better protection of personal data, and access to healthcare and support for victims of sexual violence.
The revised directive strengthens safeguards during criminal proceedings, ensuring victims are informed of decisions affecting them and can request a review. Privacy protections are reinforced, limiting the disclosure of sensitive personal data to offenders unless strictly necessary.
The reform also delivers concrete improvements across the EU, including a new EU-wide victims' helpline and, for the first time, the possibility to report certain crimes online, without having to go to a police station.
"Every year, 75 million victims across Europe are left to navigate trauma and justice systems alone. Today, the European Parliament took a decisive step to change that. This reform strengthens victims’ rights across the EU and makes clear that protection, dignity and access to justice are not optional. Victims must be informed at every stage of the process, with their data protected and their rights respected. It marks real progress for victims’ rights in Europe.
We ensured that victims of sexual violence are not overlooked. Access to sexual and reproductive healthcare must be part of the support victims receive, and for the first time, an EU legislative text explicitly recognises abortion care as one of the forms of healthcare a victim may need after sexual violence. It is now up to the Member States to ensure that the support is available in practice."
Lucia YarRenew Europe MEP, Slovakia, Progresívne Slovensko
The revised directive is expected to receive final approval by the Council on the 8th of June.