Dutch Governmental Victim Policies: Some Recent Developments

Source: (2001) Judicial Explorations (Justiteile verkenningen) 27(3)

The Dutch Government requires that police officers and public prosecutors meet certain standards in their interaction with crime victims. New governmental standards for victim services involve only minor changes, among them being the provision for victims of sexual crimes to have more influence in penal procedures. There is no rule that requires Dutch public prosecutors to prosecute all cases investigated by the police; however, victims have the right to challenge prosecutorial decisions not to prosecute their cases. Some victim advocates in the Netherlands have argued that court procedures do not allow for crime victims to express their feelings about what has happened to them. Others oppose this venting of victim emotions in the court as a threat to fair sentencing. When juvenile sex offenders return to their neighborhoods, the rights of these ex-offenders and their victims conflict. In practice, local governments must address such problems. There is no indication that the legal position of crime victims in criminal procedures in general will be enhanced in the years to come. The government has tended to focus on victim services rather than legal rights for victims.