Victim of a violent crime
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT COMPENSATION AFTER VIOLENCE
If you have been the victim of a crime, for example if you have been assaulted or otherwise subjected to violence, you may be entitled to victim compensation under the provisions of the Danish Liability for Damages Act.
It is important that you report the violence to the police within 72 hours of the offence being committed, even if you do not know the offender. If you fail to do so, you may lose the right to compensation for the violent injury.
Once the violence has been reported, the police will investigate the case. If the police assess that there is an offender who can be held responsible, criminal proceedings will be initiated. During the criminal case, you can present your compensation claim. However, your full claim will often not be fully assessed during the criminal proceedings. The judge may then decide to refer the compensation issue to the Danish Victims’ Compensation Board (Erstatningsnævnet).
If the offender is found guilty, you or your lawyer must therefore ensure that your claim for victim compensation is submitted to the Victims’ Compensation Board for victims of crime.
If you are the victim of physical violence, psychological violence, rape, or other violent crime against a person, you are often entitled to a free lawyer while your case is being handled by the police and the courts.
A victim's counsel (bistandsadvokat) can support you during police questioning and during court proceedings. The lawyer can also help you claim the compensation you are entitled to.
Contact us on +45 8618 1102 or via the contact form to learn more about your option for free legal assistance from a lawyer.
HOW TO APPLY FOR VICTIM COMPENSATION (VIOLENCE)
It is the Danish Victims’ Compensation Board (Erstatningsnævnet for voldsofre) that handles all applications for compensation for victims of violence, and you can find the board here.
On their website, you can download an application form, which must be completed and submitted to the police in the police district where the assault took place. The police will then handle the case, or a judgment will be issued in the case, after which your application form will be forwarded to the Victims’ Compensation Board.
As a victim of violence, you must remember to submit your application to the Compensation Board within 2 years from the date you were assaulted if you wish to receive compensation. If a criminal case has been conducted regarding the assault, the application must be submitted within 2 years from the date of the judgment in the criminal case.
You can submit your application form to the police in the police district where the crime was committed. The police will then forward the application form and the criminal case documents to the board. If you have had a legal aid lawyer during the criminal case, it is the lawyer’s responsibility to submit the form to the Victims’ Compensation Board.
It is important to receive correct legal advice from the very beginning. There are many questions that must be answered – including questions about pain and suffering, loss of earnings, and in the longer term permanent injury as well as possible loss of earning capacity or in the worst case death. We therefore always recommend contacting a lawyer in connection with applying for compensation.
You will often have the option of having a legal aid lawyer paid by the state. KROMANN Law Firm has assisted many clients in cases involving violence, and we can support you in court and help you submit a compensation claim to the court. When the criminal case is finished, we also help you report your case to the Compensation Board.
CONTACT US TODAY
Contact our competent lawyers and jurists on tel. +45 8618 1102 and/or send an email to kontakt@advokatkromann.dk if you want assistance with your case.
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