Thanks to initiative of the Bily kruh the system of mediation of help for all victims of violent criminality resulting in serious battery and persons bereaved after victims of crimes shall operate in the Czech Republic in the nearest future.

So far such help was available only to those citizens who themselves actively sought the Bily kruh bezpeci. In many cases such contact was arranged by other people, e.g. neighbors, chief magistrate, physician, employer, colleagues or friends. Only occasionally such information was acquired from policemen or police psychologist. According to estimation of the Bily kruh bezpeci at least 500 citizens find themselves in the situation of “broken” victims in the Czech Republic per year. They are especially persons bereaved after victims of murders and victims of muggings or rapes resulting in serious physical or psychical harm, which prevents them from living a normal life for a long time. The crime takes away their life energy, leaves them in a difficult situation with no hopes and will to use their rights. So in the time they need the help the most, for many reasons such people do not know how to or can´t seek adequate helpful place. By then, this group of people has been left to their destiny. Now, this should be changed. The new system shall oblige policemen to inform victims of felonies or bereaved persons after victims in the first contact with them on professional help, eventually arrange such help.

The entrance door to the system of accommodating help shall be the national nonstop help line of the Bily kruh bezpeci on the telephone number 257 317 110. The line shall react immediately and adequately to the call and shall collect contact details. On the nearest working day the head office of the Bily kruh bezpeci shall contact the victim or bereaved person and propose help. “A lawyer and psychologist came to our house the fifth day following murder of my wife” a present client of the Bily kruh bezpeci said on the press conference. “They patiently answered all my and my parents´ questions. My children, mother-in-law and I have used the supportive short-time therapy. In the first days following the burial, they helped us also to handle all sorts of things regarding the commenced criminal proceedings. We would be lost without the legal, psychological and practical help of the Bily kruh bezpeci.” – “A police investigator informed me about the Bily kruh bezpeci. I was short after hospitalization. Right on the first day the Bily kruh bezpeci arranged a laser therapy of scars, which disfigured me after a brutal attack of the offender, in a private medical centre. Now I have a deputy in the criminal proceedings, I have filed the claim for damages against the offender, I have filed the request for governmental monetary support, I consider using the right to be informed about the escape or release of the offender from custody. I understand my rights, I may fully concentrate on my recovery a I can call the Bily kruh bezpeci at any time.”

Discussions with the Police of the Czech Republic have already passed and ended in a clear and accommodating attitude towards this project. It is also a personal worthiness of the Police President Oldřich Martinů: “I express maximum support to the system of mediation of help for the most vulnerable victims of crimes and will support its day-to-day fulfillment in the police duty. With a large respect the Police of the Czech Republic appreciates the long-lasting support provided by the Bily kruh bezpeci to all victims of tortious acts. While enforcement of law the Police must think about the victims of crimes and especially fulfill its tasks to their behoof, otherwise our motto “to help and to defend” could become bare words with no factual content.”

On the occasion of the European day of victims a working meeting of 80 representatives of justice from all EU member states took place in Brussels in 18. – 19.2. 2010. Nine prestigious national non-governmental organizations, the Bily kruh bezpeci from the Czech Republic among them, were also invited. The participants agreed on insufficient implementation into practice of the obligatory Frame decision of the European Commission on treatment of victims of criminality. It results from the last researches that only 20 % of victims in Europe reach their rights in the criminal proceedings and only 5 % of victims achieve compensation of damages from the offender or governmental monetary support. Little respect to victims is a persisting problem which is reflected especially in late and incomprehensible information provided to victims about their rights, in absence of information about helpful places and in diffusion of rights of the victims in a number of legal acts. That is why on the same press conference the Bily kruh bezpeci announced commencement of a campaign aiming at adoption of an independent act on victims of criminality in the Czech Republic. Adoption of such act is a precondition for improvement and change of public and law enforcement authorities attitude towards aggrieved persons and persons bereaved after victims in the Czech Republic.
 

Already 19 years the Bily kruh bezpeci has been the main bearer and guarantor of the complex help to victims of criminality in our country. From the beginning of its existence in the year 1991 it focuses not only on treatment of crucial needs of all victims of criminality regardless of kind of the tort, but also on permanent enlarging of rights of aggrieved persons in the criminal proceedings. Besides comprehensive counseling for victims the Bily kruh develops also targeted counseling for specific forms of victimization, a current example is counseling for victims of stalking. So, in the year 2010 a new service “system of accommodating help for victims of felonies” starts up in the Czech Republic.