Victims of a crime, relatives or witnesses need help quickly, which is why understanding and support for the victim is an essential part of police work. Victim protection is a matter of course for the police.
In their day-to-day work, it is usually police officers who have the first contact with the victim immediately after the terrible event. This is also where the first victim support should begin.
The Olpe district police authority has had a victim protection officer since 2001. Chief Superintendent Simone Klewes currently performs this task. One of the main focuses of her work is to make every colleague aware of the concept of victim protection as a police matter of course. To this end, she coordinates measures to raise awareness and provide further training internally.
Her work also aims to create a local network in which state and independent victim support organizations work together. To this end, she participates in project groups and working groups in which the network's support services are developed and updated. The victim protection officer will put you in touch with the victim support organizations.
- Victims, victims of violence and witnesses, victims of traffic accidents;
- Relatives of missing persons, victims and witnesses
- Humanitarian assistance in individual cases
- The mediation of adequate offers of assistance from other organizations
- Information about victims' rights and the course of further proceedings
For legal reasons, however, the police do not provide legal advice.