As part of the Project's support for the realization of the Action Plan for the implementation of the National Strategy on the Rights of Victims and Witnesses of Crime in the Republic of Serbia for the period 2020-2025, during the period 2023-2025, work package 6 Victims' support, the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the Center for Legal Competences (CLC) organized a study visit to the Republic of Croatia from September 24 to 27, 2024 for a ten-member delegation from Serbia, which consisted of representatives the Ministry of Justice, the High Judicial Council, the War Crimes Prosecutor's Office and services from the higher courts in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Novi Pazar and Niš for support to injured parties (victims) and witnesses of criminal acts.
During this visit, the delegation had the opportunity to hear a lot of information about the system and functioning of support for victims and witnesses of crimes in the Republic of Croatia from about 30 interlocutors from county courts (providers of primary support for victims and witnesses of crimes), the police and public prosecutor's offices in Zadar and Split, the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation of the Republic of Croatia (Zagreb) and civil society organizations that are part of the Network of Support for Victims and Witnesses of Criminal Crimes (providers of secondary support for victims and witnesses).
This visit was of particular importance for the High Judicial Council, which is currently working on drafting bylaw on the functioning of services for providing primary support to victims and witnesses of criminal offenses in the higher courts of Serbia, i.e. for the Ministry of Justice, which is working on establishing a network of civil society organizations to provide secondary support for victims and witnesses. Also, employees of the support services at the higher courts in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Novi Pazar and Niš had the opportunity to exchange experiences and practical problems with their Croatian colleagues, to exchange contacts and establish direct cooperation.