The Office for Police Assistance to Victims

This page has been automatically translated from French into English by a translation software. Automatic translations are not as accurate as translations made by professional human translators. Nevertheless these pages can help you understand information published by the City of Brussels.

   

Reception and listening, psychological support, legal and social advice, accompaniment in diverse steps,... are a part of services proposed by the Victim Assistance Office.

This service consists of 3 psychologists and 3 criminologists who are a part of the staff of the police zone, but are not police officers. It is decentralized in 3 districts, to assure an office within every guard duty.

The function of the Victim Assistance Office

Training

One of the missions of the service consists in assuring the sensitization and the training of the officers for the Police Assistance to Victims. It elaborates specific projects of raising awareness of the staff.

Information

One of its other roles is to watch that the information bound to the domain of police assistance to the victims (rehousing, addresses useful for social, legal or psychological character) is spread to the members of the police.

First-line intervention

The existence of a Victim Assistance Office does not unload the police officer of his function of reception and support for the victim but, in situations of emotional crisis or serious victimization, the intervention of this service is desirable.

During this intervention, the Victim Assistance Office can also take charge of certain more practical or administrative aspects. Very often, after a first meeting, it proposes a second interview to the victim or a follow-up by a specialized unit.

Besides, the Victim Assistance Office has a system of guard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help the victims of traumatizing acts. It offers first-line help.

Every morning, the members of the Victim Assistance Office find the complaints from the day before and send a mail to the persons who could wish their help. It can involve a psychological, legal or social support.

The role of the advisers is to give the victims all the useful information concerning the offence, but also to direct the avid persons to recognized centres where they can benefit from legal, social or psychological aid.

The contents of the conversations with the advisers of the Victim Assistance Office remain confidential.

The advisers also meets persons who are under the strong influence of a third party or do not dare to file a complaint. Their role is then to make these victims sensitive to the importance of filing a complaint and to inform them of procedures and its consequences.

Certain persons appear spontaneously with the aim of obtaining an advice with regard to a situation for which the police could not intervene. The role of the Victim Assistance Office is here to assure a support for the person and to send him on to the competent authorities by supplying a maximum of information.

The advisers can be contacted 24 hours a day at the guard duty for victim assistance.