© dpa
Victims of criminal offences should receive individual help more quickly in Berlin.
Following a successful pilot phase, the so-called proactive service centre will now become part of the victim support system, as announced by the Senate Justice Administration. So far, more than 3,300 people who have been victims of a criminal offence have been supported there.
According to Senator for Justice Felor Badenberg (CDU), this is a unique project in Germany. "We are actively offering support to victims of criminal offences. An innovative approach that takes victim support to a new level," said the senator. The special thing about the approach is that victims are asked directly by the police when they report a crime whether they would like support. If this is the case, the contact details are forwarded to the service centre. The service centre then selects the organisation from a network that is suitable for the individual case. During the pilot phase from August 2021 to March 2023, this service was offered in Police Directorate 2 in Charlottenburg, Wilmersdorf, Spandau and Moabit.
The project, which is funded by the Senate Justice Administration, is now being implemented in Directorates 2, 4 and 5 of the Berlin Police and individual departments of the State Office of Criminal Investigation. The remaining directorates will reportedly be included. "We want to work with all those involved to ensure that every person affected receives competent support quickly and easily," explained Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD). Police Commissioner Barbara Slowik described the service centre as a "lighthouse project". Eva Schumann from the management of Opferhilfe Berlin believes that victim protection in Berlin has thus reached a new level. The feedback from those affected by criminal offences has been very positive.