The European Criminal Justice Platform aims to enhance victims' rights in criminal justice by fostering cooperation among organizations and promoting best practices. Key objectives include implementing the European directive on victims, improving communication, and advocating for restorative justice approaches. The document outlines workshops and findings that emphasize the need for cultural change, comprehensive training, and alignment of policies to support victims' needs across Europe.

1. THE EUROPEAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
PLATFORM:
ITS ROLE IN THE PROMOTION OF THE
RIGHTS OF THE VICTIMS IN THE
CRIMINAL FIELD
UTRECHT, 26th OF MAY OF 2016

2. Purpose and aims
Vision
The vision of the Criminal Justice Platform Europe is to
coordinate the European professional organisations in
the field of criminal justice in order to reduce
reoffending and the impact of crime and to improve
methods of working with victims, communities and
offenders across all the countries of Europe.

3. Objectives
• To provide strong leadership and cooperation for criminal
justice organisations by:
• Learning from best practice and what works
• Sharing events, evidence and resources
• Making effective representations to European bodies
• To have a commitment to shared human rights values and
understanding of the chain of needs and responsibilities
between society and criminal justice
• To increase respect and understanding for members’ work
• To achieve financial sustainability for members’ pan-
European work.

4. Priorities
• Implementing – the European Directive on victims in the
correctional chain
• Sharing – information and knowledge to benefit members and
organizations
• Advising – European institutions on future direction and
initiatives based on practice and evidence, very in particular in
which theses bodies are concerned: radicalization, mutual
trust among jurisdictions, alternatives to imprisonment,
impact of the use of drugs
• Making visible – the benefits of joint work and thinking.

5. Barcelona:
Workshop – June2013
International Expert’sWorkshop- March 2015
Aims:
• To examine consider the initiatives and challenges for joint
working on victims issues
• To utilize the experts’ contributions on specific topics
• To enable cross-fertilization of ideas and developments
Key Questions:
• What are the main initiatives and challenges?
• How can we work together on this topic?

6. MAIN ISSUES ASSESSED
• Culture change – Article 1 – to change the mindset of
professionals in criminal justice about the position of victims
and the value of restorative justice
• Communication – Article 3 - to agree the cross-agency
communications approach necessary to meet the ‘victim’s
right to understand and be understood’ and to ‘receive
information about their case
• Restorative justice – Article 12 - to examine the safeguards
and conditions necessary for victims and offenders in
restorative justice
• Training – Article 25 – to propose training approaches and a
curriculum to enable practitioners ‘to recognize victims and to
treat them in a respectful, professional and non-
discriminatory manner’

9. Findings – Cultural Change
Next steps
• We have a common goal but different cultural paths to reach it
• Best practice from others can help to save time, money and
problems
• Thorough education needed so victims work becomes
professional in each agency
• Place success stories in the media
Take home
• I am NOT alone
• Keep on networking
• International perspective will help convince national agencies

10. Findings - Communication
Next steps
• Clarify Data Protection issues and best practice
• Clarify responsibilities – “who does what comms?”
• Specific messages about restorative justice
Take home
• Awareness of the importance of information
• Awareness of how to train police and introduce pilots on
victims work
• Success stories – spread knowledge and support!

11. Findings – Restorative Justice
Next steps
• Formulate minimum standards and legal safeguards
• Make RJ available throughout the process – let the victim
decide when and how to participate
• Better communications about the benefits of RJ to victims
• Guarantee of privacy
Take home
• The 3 As = accessibility > availability > autonomy
• Need for joint action – ‘a Platform in my own country’
• Start planning to implement NOW!

12. Findings - Training
Next steps
• Develop curricula and materials for all EU countries
• Institutes to identify skills for trainers
• Core content to be assured
Take home
• Who is the Victim? What are the effects? How can we take
care of victims?
• Important to work with both victim AND offender
• Define training needs for different groups
• Legal consequences come last, personal come first

13. Implications for policy and
practice
• Work together across the professions and countries
• Policy and practice aligned
• Develop best practice materials
• Culture about victims needs to be addressed
internationally, nationally and organisationally
• The directive is only the beginning – the issue and the
work will not go away!

14. THE EUROPEAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
PLATFORM:
ITS ROLE IN THE PROMOTION OF THE
RIGHTS OF THE VICTIMS IN THE
CRIMINAL FIELD, AN OPEN DOOR FOR
THOSE WHO LIKE TO IMPROVE
CORRECTIONS AND THE ATTENTION TO
VICTIMS IN EUROPE!!!