Millions of people across the EU become victims of crime every year — but many never report what happened, often because they don’t trust the system will protect them. The new rules adopted by the European Parliament aim to change that by strengthening victims’ rights, improving access to support services, and closing long-standing gaps in how different member states treat people after a crime.
The European Parliament gave its final approval to an updated version of the 2012 Victims’ Rights Directive, marking the end of a years-long revision process. The reform strengthens how member states are expected to respond to crime victims in practice — from easier access to reporting mechanisms to more tailored support for those in vulnerable situations.
“After more than ten years, the data has highlighted too many gaps in safeguards and protections that were truly effective for those who suffer crimes,” said the MEP and shadow rapporteur, Alessandro Zan (S&D/ITA) to EU Perspectives. The proposal was backed by a clear majority of MEPs, with 440 voting in favour, 49 against and 84 abstaining. Member states now have two years to implement it.
Who qualifies as a victim?
According to the European Commission, an estimated 70–75 million people in the EU are victims of crime each year. Many of these cases go unreported. “That has a severe impact on the EU’s already highly fragmented justice system,” said co-rapporteur Javier Zarzalejo (EPP/ESP) on the eve of the final vote.
Eurostat also reports that in 2024, 3,953 intentional homicides and 256,302 crimes of sexual violence, including 98,190 rapes, were recorded in the EU, in addition to 5,261,267 recorded thefts, 1,197,932 burglaries, and 251,162 robberies.
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The European directive defines a victim as both those who directly suffer the crime and its physical, psychological, moral, or financial effects, as well as their family members. “The definition of victim already present in the 2012 directive has not been changed because it is considered sufficiently broad,” explains Mr Zan.
In 2021, Mr Zan himself saw the draft bill rejected on the same topic, which didn’t pass the Italian Senate. The proposal aimed at expanding protections against discrimination and hate crimes, especially toward LGBTQ+ people, women, and people with disabilities. The point of contact between the bill and the European directive is Article 22. It defines the criteria for recognising a victim as vulnerable and therefore entitled to special protection.
A call as a key tool: 116 006
The directive, also signed by Lucia Yar (Renew/SVK), aims to better protect victims of violence in judicial proceedings by providing them with specific safeguards. These include a “privacy by default” mechanism to protect their data, access to safe abortion and the activation of a single European telephone number.
Member states will be required to establish victim support hotlines under the EU-wide number 116 006. The helpline becomes “the first point of contact with the protection system,” and this service “means ensuring the same minimum level of protection, assistance, and accessibility for victims everywhere,” Mr Zan emphasizes.
The changes aim to make reporting crimes easier for both victims and witnesses, improve access to legal help for those who need it, and ensure victims can more effectively obtain compensation. Support services must be available for victims with specific needs, particularly those requiring physical protection, those whose lives are in danger, and victims of sexual violence. Child victims will have access to child-friendly services. Victims’ personal data must also be protected.
Secondary victimisation
The Article 22 of the directive is concerning the protection of secondary victimisation. In other words, it refers to the additional harm suffered by a victim because of the way institutions, authorities, or other individuals respond after the original crime or abuse. According to the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), it occurs when victims experience blame, disbelief, humiliation, or insensitive treatment during legal, medical, or social procedures. This can intensify the psychological and emotional impact of the original victimisation.
Back in the day, the Zan bill never became law in Italy. Supporters saw it as an important civil rights reform similar to anti-discrimination laws in other European countries. Critics argued some parts, especially regarding gender identity and freedom of expression, were too vague or could limit free speech.
The Italian proposed law would have extended existing anti-hate-crime laws to cover discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, and disability. It would also have increased penalties for hate speech and violence motivated by those factors. In addition, it introduced educational and awareness initiatives against discrimination.
Although this is a major European achievement for the protection of crime victims, challenges remain. “It would be crucial to achieve a harmonised European definition of sexual violence based on consent. Without a common definition, it is much more difficult to guarantee truly uniform protections for victims of this crime,” Mr Zan concludes.
