1) Member States shall fund, develop, and carry out activities aimed at removing barriers to reporting a crime including through informing the public and victims on how to report a crime and their rights when doing so.

2) Member States shall support awareness raising activities and information campaigns in order to ensure that victims who do not file a complaint with the competent authorities can easily reach victim support services.  

The European Commission did not introduce changes to this article in its proposal for a revised VRD.

Across Member States, many citizens are unaware of what constitutes a crime under national law and how to report a crime. These factors contribute to the underreporting of crime.

VSE proposes an article on Member States’ obligation to fund and develop activities to encourage individuals to come forward to report crime. It is our understanding that there is a need for broader public information campaigns and educational intervention on crime and victimisation. These actions must be accompanied by community activities which aim to generate trust in law enforcement agencies and build social resilience.