sou · GMB340 · 1999-01-01 00:00:00 — The Commission also urges that the responsibility given to to lead and evolve development work in matters concerning women exposed to violence should also include the problems that apply to victims of crime in general. Furthermore, the Commission considers that the quality of certification of victims of crime needs improvement and it proposes therefore that strengthens its supervision of the implementation of its general instructions on this matter. The question of certification should also be taken up as part of a doctors training. The social welfare services The social welfare services have an important part to play in the provision of support to victims of crime since its staffs frequently come in contact with them. The Commission recommends that a special provision be introduced into the Act on affirm- ing the responsibility born by the social welfare services for victims of crime. In addition, it is proposed that the improved training for the staffs of the social welfare services that is suggested in the on the Protection of Womens Integrity should also include the question of dealing with victims of crime in general. A similar recommendation applies to the governments requirement that should lead and evolve development work in the matter of violence against women. Action programmes and routines should be established for dealing with victims of crime. The Commission also recommends that the question of whether damages awarded by reason of crime should influence the right to means of support under the Act on , should be studied by the committee which is currently examining certain aspects of the operation of the Act and the tasks of the social welfare services (Directive 1997:109). Experiments are being conducted in various parts of with mediation between perpetrators of crime and their victims with the social welfare services initiating these activities or being involved in other ways. The Commission notes that mediation can have advantages for victims of crime always providing that due regard is paid to them in mediation situations. The Commission considers that widened trials with mediation together with continued assessment of their value would be beneficial. The Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority and the Fund for Victims of Crime The Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority The Commission is of the opinion that the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority has, through the activities which it has developed, fulfilled the intentions of the legislator at the time of its inception in 1994. The overriding purpose of these activities is to promote the rights, needs and interests of victims of crime. The Commission considers that there is no need to create a crime victim ombudsman whether as a separate institution or in combination with the directorship of the Crime Victims Compensation and Support Authority. for Victims of Crime for Victims of Crime, which was set up at the same time as the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority, provides significant support to research, training, information and developmental activities concerning victims of crime. is largely financed by the crime victim fee. This fee, of 300 Swedish crowns, is payable by offenders sentenced for one or more offences for which imprisonment is included in the scale of punishment for any one of the offences. The Commission recommends that the present limitation which allows financial contributions from the Fund to be spent on ongoing activities only if there are special reasons for doing so, should be removed so that voluntary organisations can receive contributions from the Fund to support their work to a greater extent. The Commission has also studied whether the voluntary or compulsory payment of these fees needs to be made more effective but has not found this to be the case. In order, however, to provide income for the Fund, the Commission suggests that the crime victim fee should be increased to 500 Swedish crowns. Such an increase would provide the Fund with an extra 7 million Swedish crowns per year. The Commission proposes that the extra income should be reserved for contributions to voluntary organisations, and primarily for ongoing activities. Criminal injuries compensation and other questions of compensation The responsibility for dealing with criminal injuries compensation was transferred from to the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority when the latter was set up in 1994. The Commission considers that payment of crime injury compensation under the Authority works well. However, the Commission wishes to recommend that a possibility be introduced for the injured person, in especially necessitous cases, to receive an advance on any compensation payable. The protection offered through collective and private insurance against injuries arising from crime is on the whole satisfactory. Voluntary organisations, which include the victim support bureaux and womens shelter organisations, constitute an important complement to the support given by the community to victims of crime. The Commission holds that it is vital to enlarge access to these organisations. The extra income of 7 million Swedish crowns per year derived from an increase in the fee payable to the Fund for Victims of Crime should therefore be made available to voluntary organisations focusing on work with victims of crime. These contributions could be used, for example, to employ crime victim assistants. The Commission rejects the idea that such assistants should be employed by the state or by . Instead what is proposed is that the victim support bureaux and other national organisations with an interest in collaboration should join together and apply for funding from the Fund for Victims of Crime. In this way crime victim assistants can be placed where the need exists. Such collaboration between the various local voluntary organisations should be accorded priority when allocating financial support from the Fund. Other measures to strengthen the position of victims of crime The debt collection agencies obligation to give information to victims, etc. The Commission has attempted, by means of inter alia a questionnaire to the countrys debt collection agencies, to evaluate a reform dating from 1994 which is intended to make it easier for a victim to obtain damages ordered by judicial decision. The victim, as physical person, no longer needs to initiate the implementation of the decision. The judicial decision is sent direct to the local debt collection agency which thereafter notifies the victim. However, no valid follow-up has proved possible since no routine statistics exist to show the cases where notifi- cation should ensue. The Commission recommends that (to which the debt collection agencies are subordinated) be required to see to it that the statistics are improved in this respect. should, moreover, devise better, more easily understandable forms for the debt collection agencies to use when notifying a victim and for the making of application for implementation. and should also be required to prepare an information package on the implementation procedure which can be given to both the victim and the sentenced person when the judicial decision is taken. Assistance to victims of crime abroad The Commission has examined the provisions on legal assistance in foreign cases and financial assistance to Swedish citizens abroad which were altered in 1994. The implementation of the provisions on legal assistance was studied in 1996 by the while those on financial assistance were studied by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Commission noted that these studies concerned only a handful of cases and considers therefore that no point would be served by making a fresh study. Legislation on forensic psychiatric care The Commission has examined the provisions which deal with the obligation of a psychiatric unit in certain cases to inform the victim that a person sentenced to psychiatric care will be allowed to be away from the unit. Since, however, has taken up this question, the Commission sees no reason to present recommendations. The responsibility of the Prison and to provide victims with information In a submitted to Parliament entitled Changes in the legislation on the treatment of prisoners (1997/98:95), the government has presented a proposal on the question of providing information under certain circumstances to victims. What is proposed is inter alia that certain limited exceptions should be allowed from the obligation to inform victims about the planned sojourn of a prisoner away from the prison when, by reason of the surveillance provided or other circumstances, such information is manifestly unnecessary, or when the provision of such information can be thought to occasion a danger for the prisoners life or health. The government has also presented a changes in the system of sanctions (1997/98: 96) which contains a proposal for a new law on the implementation of closed treatment for young offenders. In this proposed law there is a provision on information to a victim which is in all essentials similar to what is recommended above. The Commission considers that these proposals do not interfere with the rightful interest of victims to receive information about sojourns by perpetrators away from conditions of confinement. Measures occasioned by threats against victims and witnesses The Commission has studied the various measures that can be taken when a victim or witness is exposed to threats. The Commission has also sought to investigate the scope of, and trends in, threats or other forms of aggression against victims and witnesses, through a study of the criminal statistics and by questionnaires to the , prosecutors, courts, and advocates. Through the questionnaires, the Commission has also tried to find out if the character of the threats has changed over time. The results of these enquiries suggest that it is relatively rare for victims and witnesses to be subjected to threats or other forms of aggression. And the statistics and replies to the questionnaires do not suggest that threats and other forms of aggression have increased in frequency or have changed their character over recent years. In the majority of cases of threats against victims and witnesses the measures which can be taken by the criminal system under present provisions are sufficient for their protection. Nevertheless, it is important that there should be preparedness and routines within the system to give such persons any necessary protection. In order to arrange for better forms of protection in the more serious cases, the Commission recommends that be required, in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor and the National Prison and to devise a national action programme for the protection of victims and witnesses in accordance with the principles laid down in Recommendation R (97) 13 on Threats against Witnesses, etc. of . In addition, the should be required to start experiments using video technology for the hearing of threatened witnesses in the courts. The Commission has also given consideration to the question of whether it should be possible under certain circumstances for victims and witnesses who fear threats to be anonymous for the accused. the enquiries made by the Commission it appears that threats and other aggressive behaviour directed against victims and witnesses occur relatively infrequently and have not increased to any great extent. This argues against introducing such a measure as does another finding from the studies undertaken, namely that the threats and aggressive behaviour which does occur are primarily directed against persons with whom the accused has, or has had, a relationship. Making anonymity possible would not therefore provide protection in such cases. A strong objection to a provision on anonymity is that under questioning the identity of victims and witnesses would often become known to defence advocates, who would have to conceal that knowledge from their clients and thereby come into a conflict situation vis-à-vis the latter. In the light of the foregoing, and the fact that the principle of public accessibility and the parties right to full access to the procedural material is one that should not be set aside unless there are exceptionally strong reasons for doing so, the Commission does not consider that it would be justified at present in recommending the possibility of anonymity for witnesses and victims. Protection for threatened persons in matters of national registration, for example, retention of registration of an original address despite removal to a new address which is to be kept secret, has been improved by provisions which, for the most part, entered into force on 1 January 1998. Nevertheless, difficulties can still arise where threatened persons are involved in civil cases. In particular, the determination of the competent court may only be possible if the threatened persons new address is revealed. The Commission recommends, therefore, that the protection of threatened persons be further improved by the addition of special provisions on the determination of the competent court in civil cases. It is further proposed that a possibility should be introduced for threatened persons who have obtained fictitious personal identity registrations to be reimbursed for the expenses incurred in connection with a change of identity. Crime prevention from the victims standpoint Since the Commission began its work in 1995 much has happened concerning crime prevention. The government has presented a national crime prevention programme which takes up the question inter alia of the connection between crime prevention work and work on behalf of victims of crime. A special committee has been set up to implement the crime prevention programme. The Commission wishes to emphasise the importance of considering the situation of victims of crime when developing crime prevention activities and assumes that this committee in the course of its work will bear in mind the consequences that crime prevention measures can have for victims of crime. Since there is a connection between crime prevention and work to improve the situation of victims, the Commission notes that its proposals can be said to have a crime preventive effect. Financial consequences of the Commissions recommendations The majority of the recommendations made by the Commission can be carried through without entailing any noteworthy expense. The proposed increase in grants to voluntary organisations would be financed by an increase in the fee payable by offenders to the Fund for Victims of Crime. The total effect of the Commissions recommendations, namely an improvement in the situation of victims of crime, can be expected to have positive consequences for societys economy in general through, for instance, a decrease in the number and duration of periods on sick leave. A reduction of the suffering endured by those who have been exposed to crime and an enhanced quality of life for them are advantages that cannot be measured in terms of money. 1 Förslag till lag om ändring i lagen (1988:609) om målsägandebiträde Härigenom föreskrivs i fråga om lagen (1988:609) om målsägande- biträde DELS att lagens rubrik skall ha följande lydelse, DELS att 1–4, 7 och 8 §§ skall ha följande lydelse, DELS att det i lagen skall införas fyra nya paragrafer, 1 a–1 c och 5 a §§. Lag (1988:609) om målsägan- Lag (1988:609) om målsägan- När förundersökning har inletts skall ett särskilt biträde för målsägan- den (målsägandebiträde) förordnas i mål om 1.brott enligt 6 kap. , om det inte är uppenbart att målsäganden saknar behov av sådant biträde, 2.brott enligt 3 eller 4 kap. , på vilket fängelse kan följa, eller enligt 8 kap. 5 eller 6 § eller försök, förberedelse eller stämpling till sådant brott, om det med hänsyn till målsägandens personliga relation till den misstänkte eller andra omständigheter kan antas att målsäganden har behov av sådant biträde, 3. annat brott ENLIGT BROTTSBAL 3. annat brott på vilket fäng- på vilket fängelse kan följa, else kan följa, om det med om det med hänsyn till måls- hänsyn till målsägandens per- anden och övriga omständigheter kan antas att målsäganden har ett särskilt starkt behov av sådant starkt behov av sådant biträde. 1 Senaste lydelse 1994:59. Målsägandebiträde får förord- nas i högre rätt, om åklagaren eller den tilltalade har överklagat domen i ansvarsdelen. .¤R F¶RUNDERS¶KNING HAR INLETTS KAN EN L¤MPLIG PERSON F¶RORDNAS SOM ST¶D OCH HJ¤LPST¶DPERSON ¥T M¥LS¤GANDE SOM SKALL H¶RAS I M¥L OM BROTT P¥ VILKET F¤NGELSE KAN F¶LJA OM M¥LS¤GANDEN HAR BEHOV AV ETT S¥DANT ST¶D (AR EFTERLEVANDE MAKE SAMBO BR¶STARVINGE FADER MODER ELLER SYSKON TILL N¥GON SOM D¶DATS GENOM BROTT MED H¤NSYN TILL SINA PERSONLIGA F¶RH¥LLANDEN ELLER ANDRA OMST¤NDIGHETER BEHOV AV ETT M¥LS¤GANDEBITR¤DE SKALL ETT S¥DANT BITR¤DE F¶RORDNAS N¤R F¶RUNDERS¶KNING HAR INLETTS &¶RSTA STYCKET G¤LLER OCKS¥ F¶R F¶RORDNANDE AV ST¶DPERSON F¶R EFTERLEVANDE &¶R ETT F¶RORDNANDE ENLIGT DENNA PARAGRAF G¤LLER I ¶VRIGT SAMMA BEST¤MMELSER SOM F¶R ETT M¥LS¤GANDEBITR¤DE ELLER ST¶D PERSON ¥T EN M¥LS¤GANDE Målsägandebiträde OCH ST¶D PERSON får förordnas i högre rätt, om åklagaren eller den tilltalade har överklagat domen i ansvars- delen. Målsägandebiträde får inte för- ordnas sedan åklagaren har be- slutat att allmänt åtal inte skall väckas eller att sådant åtal skall läggas ned. Målsägandebiträde ELLER ST¶D PERSON får inte förordnas sedan åklagaren har beslutat att allmänt åtal inte skall väckas eller att sådant åtal skall läggas ned. -¥LS¤GANDEBITR¤DET SKALL TA TILL VARA M¥LS¤GANDENS INTRESSEN I M¥LET SAMT L¤MNA ST¶D OCH HJ¤LP TILL M¥LS¤GANDEN -¥LS¤GANDEBITR¤DET SKALL BIST¥ M¥LS¤GANDEN MED ATT F¶RA TALAN OM ENSKILT ANSPR¥K I ANLEDNING AV BROTTET OM DETTA INTE G¶RS AV ¥KLAGAREN Målsägandebiträdets uppgift kvarstår även om talan avskilts enligt 22 kap. 5 § rättegångs- balken för att handläggas som särskilt mål enligt reglerna för tvistemål, såvida inte målet handläggs enligt 1 kap. 3 d § . Målsägande- biträdets uppgift kvarstår också om tingsrättens dom överklagas endast i fråga om enskilt an- språk. -¥LS¤GANDEBITR¤DET SKALL BIST¥ M¥LS¤GANDEN MED ATT F¶RA TALAN OM ENSKILT ANSPR¥K I ANLEDNING AV BROTTET OM DETTA INTE G¶RS AV ¥KLAGAREN -¥LS¤GANDEBITR¤DET SKALL ¤VEN I ¶VRIGT TA TILL VARA M¥LS¤GANDENS INTRESSEN I M¥LET OCH BIST¥ M¥LS¤GANDEN MED ATT F¥ UT TILLD¶MT SKADEST¥ND SAMT L¤MNA ST¶D OCH HJ¤LP I DEN M¥N M¥LS¤GANDENS BEHOV I DET AV SEENDET INTE TILLGODOSES AV EN ST¶DPERSON Målsägandebiträdets OCH ST¶D PERSONENS uppgift kvarstår även om talan avskilts enligt 22 kap. 5 § för att handläggas som särskilt mål enligt reglerna för tvistemål, så- vida målet inte handläggs enligt 1 kap. 3 d § . Målsägandebiträdets OCH ST¶D PERSONENS uppgift kvarstår också om tingsrättens dom överklagas endast i fråga om enskilt anspråk. 2Senaste lydelse 1994:59. 3Senaste lydelse 1996:1644. på begäran av målsäganden eller när det annars finns anledning till det. Vid förordnandet till- lämpas 26 § första stycket rätts- hjälpslagen (1996:1619). PERSON förordnas på begäran av målsäganden eller när det annars finns anledning till det. Vid förordnande AV M¥LS¤GANDE BITR¤DE tillämpas 26 § första (1996:1619). I fråga om byte av målsägandebiträde och rätt för sådant biträde att sätta någon annan i sitt ställe tillämpas 26 § andra och tredje styckena rättshjälpslagen. "YTE AV ST¶DPERSON F¥R SKE OM DET FINNS SK¤L F¶R DET ledigas, om det är påkallat med PERSONEN skall entledigas, om hänsyn till förhållandena i målet det är påkallat med hänsyn till eller om det annars finns skäl för förhållandena i målet eller det annars finns skäl för det. I övrigt tillämpas i fråga om målsägandebiträde regler om rättegångsbiträde. 3T¶DPERSONEN HAR R¤TT TILL ERS¤TTNING AV ALLM¤NNA MEDEL F¶R INST¤LLELSE VID F¶RH¶R UNDER F¶RUNDERS¶KNINGEN OCH R¤TTE G¥NGEN ENLIGT BEST¤MMELSER SOM REGERINGEN MEDDELAR. Beslut i frågor som avses i denna lag fattas av rätten. I de fall som avses i 6 § får dock målsägandebiträdet själv besluta om utredning i samma utsträck- ning som enligt 17 § rätts- hjälpslagen (1996:1619) gäller för biträde vid rättshjälp. "ESLUT SOM AVSER ST¶DPERSON FATTAS UNDER F¶RUNDERS¶KNINGEN AV UNDERS¶KNINGSLEDAREN "E SLUTET SKALL PR¶VAS AV R¤TTEN OM M¥LS¤GANDEN BEG¤R DET Beslut I ¶VRIGA frågor som av- ses i denna lag fattas av rätten. I de fall som avses i 6 § får dock målsägandebiträdet själv besluta om utredning i samma utsträck- ning som enligt 17 § rättshjälps- lagen (1996:1619) gäller för biträde vid rättshjälp. Bestämmelserna i 31 kap. om skyldighet för den tilltalade eller annan att till staten återbetala kostnader för försvarare som enligt rättens beslut har betalats av allmänna medel gäller även i fråga om kostnader för målsägandebiträde. I mål där målsägandebiträdets uppgifter kvarstår enligt 3 § andra stycket gäller beträffande dessa kostnader bestämmelserna i 18 kap. om ansvar för motparts rättegångskostnader. Bestämmelserna i 31 kap. om skyldighet för den tilltalade eller annan att till staten återbetala kostnader för försvarare som enligt rättens beslut har betalats av allmänna medel gäller även i fråga om målsägandebiträdets OCH ST¶D PERSONENS uppgifter kvarstår enligt 3 § andra stycket gäller beträffande dessa kostnader be- stämmelserna i 18 kap. rätte- gångsbalken om ansvar för motparts rättegångskostnader. Denna lag träder i kraft . 4 Senaste lydelse 1996:1644. 2 Förslag till lag om ändring i Härigenom föreskrivs att 10 kap. 1 §, 20 kap.15 §, 23 kap. 10 §, 36 kap. 17 §, 40 kap. 10 § och 49 kap. 5 § skall ha Laga domstol i tvistemål i allmänhet är rätten i den ort, där svaranden har sitt hemvist. Är svaranden folkbokförd i anses som hans hemvist den ort där han var folkbokförd föregående år. För bolag, förening eller annat samfund, stiftelse eller annan sådan inrättning gälle som hemvist den ort, där styrelsen har sitt säte eller, om säte för styrelsen ej är bestämt eller styrelse ej finnes, där förvaltningen föres. Lag samma vare i fråga om kommun eller annan sådan menighet. Dödsbo sökes vid den rätt, där den döde skolat svara. Den som icke äger känt hemvist vare sig inom eller utom riket sökes där han uppehåller sig. Är han svensk medborgare och uppehåller han sig utom riket eller är hans uppehållsort okänd, sökes han där han inom riket senast haft hemvist eller uppehållit sig. /M EN PERSON HAR MEDGETTS ATT ELLER OM SEKRETESS ENLIGT KAP G¤LLER F¶R PERSONENS FOLKBOK F¶RINGSUPPGIFTER F¥R TALAN V¤CK AS MOT DENNE VID R¤TTEN I DEN ORT D¤R K¤RANDEN HAR SITT HEMVIST 3AKNAR K¤RANDEN HEMVIST I 3VERIGE F¥R TALAN V¤CKAS VID 3TOCKHOLMS TINGSR¤TT 5 Senaste lydelse 1991:485. Målsägandebiträde har rätt att närvara vid förhör med måls- äganden. Detsamma gäller en stödperson, om hans närvaro inteär till men för utredningen,LIKSOM ETT PERSONLIGT ST¶D ENLIGTKAP g R¤TTEG¥NGSBALKEN Målsägande, som hörs med anledning av åklagarens talan, får åtföljas av lämplig person som personligt stöd ST¶DPERSON under rättegången 3¥DAN ST¶D PERSON som rätten har kännedom om skall om möjligt underrättas om rättegången. I vissa fall kan målsägande- biträde förordnas enligt lagen (1988:609) om målsägandebiträ- de. Målsägandebiträde skall kallas till huvudförhandling eller annat sammanträde i rätten där målsä- ganden eller målsägandens ställ- företrädare skall höras. Målsägande, som hörs med anledning av åklagarens talan, får åtföljas av en lämplig person som personligt stöd under rät- tegången. %N S¥DAN PERSON som rätten har kännedom om skall om möjligt underrättas om rätte- gången. I vissa fall kan målsägande- biträde OCH ST¶DPERSON förordnas enligt lagen (1988:609) om målsägandebiträde OCH ST¶D PERSON Målsägandebiträde OCH ST¶D PERSON skall kallas till huvudför-