Support to victims and witnesses in the Republic of Croatia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the work of the Victim and Witness Support System in the Republic of Croatia, particularly Service for Victim and Witness Support at the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration of the Republic of Croatia, Victim and Witness Support Departments at the County Courts, Network of Support and Cooperation for Victims and Witnesses of Criminal Offences (consisting of 10 organizations operating in 13 counties) and National Call Center for Victims of Crime 116 006. The problems faced by support organizations and services as well as victims are presented in the paper. Certain changes in the procedures and new forms of cooperation have been noticed, which improved the support system and enabled victims' easier access to their rights. In order to build a resilient society and organizations, as well as to prevent burnout of professionals and ensure their resilience, it is important to cooperate with each other and provide support to helpers in the form of training, regular meetings, consultations and supervision.