Rights

Victims have special rights in the context of criminal proceedings. Victim Support Switzerland will provide information and help you enforce your rights.

Titelbild - Rights

Do you have a question about your rights as a victim in criminal proceedings? Do you need information about how criminal proceedings are held? Or do you need support during the actual proceedings? Contact your nearest victim support service.

You can find all victim support services here

What are your rights as a victim in criminal proceedings?

Once criminal proceedings are initiated, you have special rights as a victim. You have, for example, the right

  • to be informed if the accused escapes or is released;
  • to be informed of the verdict;
  • to be accompanied by a person of your choice during any interviews;
  • to avoid any direct encounters with the accused.

Victims of sexual offences and underage victims have more extensive rights, for example

  • the right to refuse to answer questions considered excessively intimate; or
  • the right to insist on being questioned by a person of the same sex.

Victim Support Services will provide you with detailed information on your rights as a victim in the context of criminal proceedings, and will support you to enforce your rights. They will also advise you on the question of whether to bring charges. Ultimately, however, the decision will be made by you alone.