Crime victims' contacts with the justice system

The objective of this report is in part to identify well-functioning aspects of the justice system’s work, but also to focus on aspects that may still require further consideration in relation to the justice system’s contacts with the victims of crime.

This publication represents a translation of an abridged version of the principal report published in connection with the study Crime victims’ contacts with the justice system, which in turn constitutes part of a more extensive research and development project that has been conducted at the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, entitled The public’s contacts with and confidence in the justice system. The project has already resulted in two reports based on data from the Swedish Crime Survey (SCS), the one an analysis of Relationship violence against women and men (Brå 2009:12), the other a study of Teenagers’ confidence in the justice system and their propensity to report crime (Brå, 2009:20).

This, the main report from the project, presents on the one hand a more detailed, quantitative analysis of Swedish Crime Survey data on public attitudes towards and experiences of the justice system, and on the other a qualitative analysis of data from focus group interviews conducted with crime victims. The report is first and foremost intended for those working in the police, the prosecution service and the courts, but its target audience also includes others who come into contact with crime victims in various ways, such as voluntary support organisations and the social services.