Every year one out of every four people in the Netherlands is the victim of a crime. In addition to this, there are 720 road traffic fatalities, and another 100,000 people are injured in traffic accidents. These are alarming numbers and serious incidents that can radically change the lives of the victims, dependents and witnesses. In fact, victims often continue to experience emotional and psychological consequences for years.
Since it was set up in 1989 the Dutch Victim Support Fund has embraced the philosophy that ‘If a member of society is harmed, it is only right that the same society should extend a helping hand.’ And it has translated this philosophy into practical action by financing the provision of voluntary assistance throughout the Netherlands and offering victims emotional, practical and legal support.
The Victim Support Fund is unique in what it does. There are many organisations that provide victim support in the Netherlands, but they generally have limited financial resources. The Victim Support Fund helps to fund these organisations by raising money from private individuals and businesses. And, though it does not have any particular religious or political bias, in recent years the Victim Support Fund has also fought for many important causes that have since been anchored in the law. The Victim Support Fund will continue to play this pioneering role in years to come in order to put victim support even more firmly on the map.
Every year thousands of victims receive the help they so badly need as a result of initiatives and funding provided by the Victim Support Fund. We support projects and organisations that operate in six different areas within the field of victim support:
• Prevention of (repeated) victimisation
• Promotion of expertise
• Provision of direct assistance for victims
• Innovation of assistance practices
• Contact with fellow sufferers
• Lobbying, influencing and raising awareness
We provide assistance across the whole breadth of the field. We support victims of sexual abuse and victims of domestic violence. We also support those whose homes have been broken into, those who have been involved in an accident, victims of human trafficking and the dependents of murder victims.
Three principles
The Victim Support Fund has identified three principles which apply in everything we do: shared responsibility, the best conceivable support and empowerment of the victim.
Shared responsibility
The government, private-sector social service organisations, the corporate sector and individual citizens share the responsibility for safety in the Netherlands and the care provided for victims. Everyone has their own role to play in this respect. Rather than financing things that are the government’s responsibility, the Victim Support Fund concentrates on private initiatives. For it is generally private initiatives that initiate change by stimulating innovation, which, if successful, can then be transferred to the government for national implementation.
The best conceivable support
We endeavour to provide victims with the best conceivable support in order to minimise the serious consequences of being a victim. In order to be able to achieve this, the assistance provided for victims needs to evolve in line with external developments. Different groups of victims have different needs, so a single standard offering is not enough. Assistance needs to be specially tailored for specific groups. The Victim Support Fund wishes to make a contribution to the validation, differentiation and modernisation of the assistance provided for victims.
Empowerment of the victim
A victim of a crime, a traffic accident or a natural disaster is not necessarily someone who is passive and in need of assistance. In providing victim support it is essential to focus on enabling people to regain their sense of self. So they can draw on their own resilience and ability to cope after an incident has left them in shock.
Help us to help them
We believe effective victim support is extremely important. If you share our opinion and would like to do your bit, why not become a regular donor, or transfer a one-off donation to account number 6700. Thank you for your support!