Chair of the Committee on Law Enforcement Serhii Ionushas, Presidential Representative to the Verkhovna Rada and Deputy Chair of the Committee Halyna Mykhailiuk, Deputy Chair Maksym Pavliuk, and Subcommittee Chair Serhii Alekseiev held a working meeting with representatives of the Coordination Center for Victim and Witness Support.
The meeting focused on the need to introduce legislative changes aimed at implementing European standards to strengthen the rights of crime victims, ensuring they receive proper support and protection.
The proposed legislative changes should include the introduction of individual assessments of victims’ needs, vulnerabilities, and risks of repeated or secondary victimization, as well as the identification of necessary security measures for victims involved in criminal proceedings.
Committee Chair Serhii Ionushas emphasized the importance of ensuring that victims—especially those from vulnerable groups—have the right to receive support and protection. He highlighted the need to formalize the status of specialized units that accompany victims throughout all stages of criminal proceedings and facilitate their interaction with the criminal justice system, as well as with state and civil society actors.
Presidential Representative to the Verkhovna Rada and Deputy Chair of the Committee Halyna Mykhailiuk placed special emphasis on the protection of children affected by war crimes.
Veronika Plotnikova, Head of the Coordination Center for Victim and Witness Support, highlighted the challenges victims face daily in accessing assistance. She stressed the need to legally formalize the status of the Coordination Center and its regional units, whose work involves uniting the efforts of prosecutors, investigators, NGOs, international donors, and state institutions to provide victims with professional and timely support — including legal, psychological, medical, and social assistance.