How and where can I report a crime?
How can I follow up on what the authorities do after I report a crime?
How can I be involved in the investigation of the crime?
What are my rights as a witness?
I am a minor. Do I have additional rights?
How can I get protection, if I am in danger?
What services and assistance can I be given during the investigation of the crime?
How will my case continue after the end of the investigation?
Can I appeal if my case is closed without reaching the court?
I am a foreigner. How are my rights and interests protected?
If you have suffered from a crime or otherwise learn that a crime has been committed you can report the offence to the police or the public prosecutor. You can do this by:
If you choose to submit a written report you can sign it, but it is not obligatory. Anonymous reports are also accepted. For oral reports and reports made by phone, the police or the public prosecutor will draft a written record. You do not have to sign this record.
There is no obligatory template for reporting a crime and there are no specific requirements as to what information you have to include in the report. A brief description of the incident will be sufficient (e.g. when and where did it happen, how, who was the offender or how did he/she look like, what was stolen, what are the damages, etc.). If you have any relevant evidence you can present it when you report the crime.
If you do not speak Slovenian you can report the crime in any language you understand. The public prosecutor or the police will provide you with an interpreter free of charge, if necessary.
There is no deadline for reporting a crime. However, if you report the crime after a certain period of time specified in the law the authorities may not start an investigation.
Some less serious crimes are prosecuted only if you report them to the public prosecutor or start a private prosecution yourself by filing a complaint directly to the court. For these crimes there is a deadline. You have to file a report or complaint within three months after you learn about the crime and the offender.
If the public prosecutor finds that there are no grounds to prosecute for a criminal offence that you reported, he/she has to instruct you that you may start the prosecution by yourself. In such case, you can start the prosecution within eight days from the day you received this notice.
You can also check what has been done on your report by asking the police officer in charge of your case.
When you report the crime, the public prosecutor or the police officer may ask you additional questions to clarify some details of the incident. This is not a formal interrogation. Nevertheless, a lawyer or another person you trust can accompany you if you wish. If you want a lawyer to come with you, you have to pay for his/her services. Legal aid free of charge is available at a later stage.
When the public prosecutor decides to start an investigation he/she will send the case to an investigative judge. The investigative judge will send you a written invitation for each investigative action you are allowed to attend. In the invitation you will find information about the time and place of the investigative action. The investigative judge will also explain to you what rights you have during the investigation.
As a victim you can:
To benefit from your rights as a victim you do not need to file any formal requests to join the proceedings.
You are not obliged to prove anything related to the crime. Only when the crime is prosecuted upon your complaint to the court will you have to prove the crime and the guilt of the alleged offender.
During the investigation you can (but you are not obliged to) have a lawyer. If you wish to have a lawyer you have to pay for his/her services. Alternatively, you can apply for legal aid if your financial situation does not allow you to cover the lawyer’s fee.
If you are called for an interview as a witness during the investigation you have to appear before the investigative judge and answer his/her questions. The investigative judge will warn you that you have to tell the truth and not hide information.
You can refuse to be interviewed if:
In addition, you can refuse to respond to individual questions if your answers may disgrace or harm you or may result in criminal prosecution against you or your close relatives.
Before the interview, the investigative judge will explain to you when you can refuse to answer individual questions and when you can refuse to be interviewed at all.
If you cannot appear before the investigative judge because of illness or some other serious reason, the investigative judge can perform the interview at the place you live. If you have hearing or speaking impairments your interview will be conducted in writing or a special interpreter will be called to assist you.
When you are interviewed as a witness you can ask for reimbursement of the expenses you have made. Reimbursement may cover travel expenses, expenses for food and accommodation, and expenses related to taking day(s) off from work or the loss of profit. You have to request reimbursement immediately after your interview.
If you are a child and you have been called for an interview, a teacher or another qualified expert can be present to assist you. If you are a minor (under 18 years of age) a person you trust can accompany you and assist you during the entire investigation. This person can also be present during your interview.
Depending on the crime, if a lawyer has assisted you during the proceedings you may receive reimbursement for the fee you have paid for his/her services.
If you are child victim of a sexual offence, cruel treatment or human trafficking you must have an authorised person to assist you throughout the proceedings. If you do not choose such a person yourself the court will assign a lawyer to perform this function.
If you are an under age victim of domestic violence the authorities are not allowed to publicly disclose any information that may reveal your identity irrespective of your parents’ consent.
When you report a crime you can ask the police officer or the public prosecutor to give you more information about the procedure that follows and about the assistance you can receive as a victim. You can also consult the leaflets for victims of crime available at the police stations.
You can apply for free legal aid if you are:
You can receive legal aid free of charge if you wish to have a lawyer but your financial situation does not allow you to pay for his/her services.
To receive legal aid you have to submit an application to the court. You do not have to provide any information about your income. The authorities that will decide on your application will collect this information from the available official records.
If you are victim of family violence you can receive legal aid free of charge irrespective of your financial situation. You need to prove that you are victim of domestic violence by presenting a certificate issued by the local Social Work Centre.
If the offender is a dangerous person and may affect the criminal procedure by influencing you as a witness or if there is a risk that the offender can commit another crime he/she will be arrested and placed in detention during the proceedings.
If you are victim of violent crime you can ask the police officer to issue a restraining order banning the offender from approaching and contacting you. If the offender lives with you (e.g. in cases of domestic violence) the police officer will ask him/her to leave and will take his/her keys. The ban can last for a maximum period of ten days but you can ask the judge to extend it to up to 60 days. If the offender does not comply with the restraining order he/she will be fined.
If you are a witness and you are afraid that the disclosure of your identity could endanger your life or health or the life or health of your relatives or other persons close to you, you can ask the investigative judge to keep your identity secret. The investigative judge can undertake the following measures:
If you are afraid that keeping your identity secret would not be enough to protect you, you can apply for special protection measures. Special protection measures apply only in if you are victim of a very serious crime such as kidnapping, drug trafficking, etc.
The special protection measures may include:
If you are victim of domestic violence, authorities are not allowed to publicly disclose any information that may reveal your identity. Such information can be disclosed only with your consent. You can ask the judge to ban the offender from approaching your home or other places you visit frequently (e.g. your workplace, your school, etc.) and from contacting you by means of communication such as telephone, e-mail, etc. You can also ask the judge to remove the offender from your common place of living for a period of up to six months (with a possible extension for six more months). In the latter case you may be requested to pay compensation to the offender for the period he/she is obliged to live elsewhere. These measures are not related to the criminal proceedings. You can request their application irrespective of whether there is a criminal investigation or not.
If you are victim of human trafficking and you are residing in Slovenia without permission you can ask the police to allow you to remain in the country for up to three months (with a possible extension for three more months).
You can get medical help from medical institutions but you have to pay for it unless it is covered by your insurance. You can add the amount paid for medical or psychological assistance to your civil claim. Citizens of the 27 EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland can benefit from the European Health Insurance Card.
You can receive psychological support and other services from the local Social Work Centre or from specialised non-governmental organisations.
If you are victim of domestic violence you can choose another person to help you during the proceedings. This person is called “victim’s assistant” and can be anybody you trust.
In the course of the investigation the public prosecutor may invite you and the offender to participate in a mediation procedure. During this procedure you will meet with the offender in the presence of a mediator in an attempt to reach an agreement on your case. Mediation is possible only for less serious crimes (crimes punished by a fine or imprisonment of up to three years or other specific crimes in special circumstances). Mediation is a voluntary procedure and can take place only if both you and the offender agree to participate. If the procedure is successful and you reconcile with the offender the case will be closed.
The public prosecutor can also ask for your consent to temporarily suspend the case and give the offender the opportunity to rectify what he/she has caused with the crime (e.g. to eliminate or compensate the damage, to engage in community work, make a contribution to a charity or fund for crime victims, etc.). This can happen only if you are a victim of a less serious crime (crime punished by a fine or imprisonment of up to three years or other specific crimes in special circumstances). If you agree with the public prosecutor’s proposal the offender will be instructed in what he/she must do and will be provided with a deadline for complying with the instructions. If the offender complies with the instructions within the specified time limit the case will be closed.
At the end of the investigation the investigative judge will send the case to the public prosecutor. The public prosecutor will examine the collected evidence and will bring the case to court or close it. When the public prosecutor brings the case to court, the court will also examine the evidence and may decide to start a trial or in specific circumstances close the case. The case can also be closed if the public prosecutor withdraws the charges before the first court hearing.
If the public prosecutor closes the case before bringing it to court or withdraws the charges before the first court hearing, you will receive a notification that you case has been closed. You cannot appeal against the closing of the case, but you can continue the proceedings yourself. The notification you will receive will contain information about how you can continue the proceedings. If you wish to continue the proceedings yourself you have to do it within eight days after you receive the notification informing you about the closing of your case.
If the public prosecutor brings the case to court but the judge decides to close it without starting a trial you will receive a notification. You can appeal against the court’s decision within eight days after you receive the notification. If your appeal is successful there are two possible options:
If you are a foreigner you can benefit from the rights listed above. You also have additional rights to facilitate your participation in the investigation.
If you do not speak Slovenian you can use any language you understand. An interpreter free of charge will be provided to assist you when you attend investigative actions. Documents and other pieces of evidence will also be translated for you free of charge.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
How can I be involved in the trial?
What are my rights as a witness?
I am a minor. Do I have additional rights?
How can I get protection, if I am in danger?
How can I claim damages from the offender or receive compensation from the State?
I am a foreigner. How are my rights and interests protected?
When the court starts a trial you will receive an official written invitation for the court. The invitation will indicate the date, time and place of the hearing.
During the first hearing the judge will explain to you the procedure and your rights during the trial.
As a victim during the trial you can:
During the trial you can (but you are not obliged to) have a lawyer. If you wish to have a lawyer you have to pay for his/her services. Alternatively, you can apply for legal aid if your financial situation does not allow you to pay for the lawyer’s fee.
To benefit from your rights as a victim during the trial you do not need to file any formal requests to join the proceedings.
If the court calls you for an interview as a witness during the trial, you have to appear before the judge and respond to his/her questions. Usually you will be interviewed immediately after the defendant.
As a witness you have the same rights as during the investigation. You can:
In addition, if you do not feel comfortable speaking in the presence of the offender you can ask the judge to remove him/her from the courtroom. After the interview, the judge will invite the offender back to the courtroom and will read your testimony to him/her.
You can also ask the judge to hold a private hearing if the issues to be discussed concern your personal or family life.
Before your interview, the judge will explain to you your rights as a witness.
If you cannot go to the court because of illness or some other serious reason, the judge can interview you at the place you live. If you have hearing or speaking impairments, your interview will be conducted in writing or the judge will call a special interpreter to assist you.
If you are a child and you are called for an interview you will be taken out of the courtroom immediately after the end of your interview.
If you are a child under 15 years of age who has suffered from a sexual crime, cruel treatment or trafficking in human beings you will not be interviewed during the trial. Instead, the judge will read the record of your interview during the investigation.
If you are a child witness under 14 years of age, the court may decide that public is excluded from your interview during the trial.
If you are a child victim of a sexual offence, cruel treatment or human trafficking the authorised person assigned to help you during the investigation will continue to assist you during the trial.
You can apply for legal aid if you are:
To receive legal aid you have to submit an application to the court. You do not have to provide any information about your income. The authorities that will decide on your application will collect this information from the available official records.
You can receive the same protection as during the investigation.
If the offender is a dangerous person and may affect criminal procedure by influencing you as a witness or if there is a risk the offender can commit another crime he/she will be arrested and placed in detention during the proceedings.
If you are a witness and you are afraid that the disclosure of your identity could endanger your life or health or the life or health of your relatives or other persons close to you, you can ask the judge to keep your identity secret by:
If you are afraid that keeping your identity secret would not be enough to protect you, you can apply for special protection measures. Special protection measures apply only in if you are victim of a very serious crime such as kidnapping, drug trafficking, etc. and may include:
If you are victim of domestic violence the court is not allowed to publicly disclose any information that may reveal your identity without your prior consent. You can ask the judge to ban the offender from approaching your home or other places you visit frequently (e.g. your workplace, your school, etc.) and from contacting you by telephone, e-mail, or other means of communication. You can also ask the judge to remove the offender from your shared home for a period of up to six months (with a possible extension for six more months). In the latter case you may be requested to pay compensation to the offender for the period he/she is obliged to live elsewhere. These measures are not related to the criminal proceedings and do not depend on whether there is a trial or not.
If you are victim of human trafficking and you are residing in Slovenia without permission you can ask the police to allow you to remain in the country for up to three months (with a possible extension for three more months).
You can claim damages from the offender by filing a civil claim. You can also submit your claim within criminal procedure:
The investigative judge (during the investigation) and the court (during the trial) are obliged to explain to you how you can claim damages from the offender in the criminal procedure. In your claim you have to specify what you are claiming and attach the evidence you have (e.g. medical certificates, documents certifying your ownership of the stolen property, etc.).
The court may refuse to examine your civil claim if it is too complicated and its examination will prolong the proceedings. In this case you can submit a separate claim against the offender before a civil court.
If you are a victim of violent crime or a person financially supported by a person who has died as a result of such a crime, you can apply for financial compensation from the State. Your application has to be submitted to the Commission for the Compensation to the Victims of Crime under the Ministry of Justice. Please consult the factsheet on compensation to victims of crime in the Slovenia (available in English, Slovenian and multiple other languages) of the European Judicial Network.
During the trial the public prosecutor may invite you and the offender to participate in a mediation procedure. During this procedure you will meet with the offender in the presence of a mediator in an attempt to reach an agreement on your case. Mediation is possible only for less serious crimes (crimes punished by a fine or imprisonment of up to three years or other specific crimes in special circumstances). Mediation is a voluntary procedure and can take place only if both you and the offender agree to participate.
If there is a mediation procedure the court will temporarily suspend the proceedings for six months to wait for the outcome of the mediation. If the procedure is successful and you reconcile with the offender the public prosecutor will withdraw the charge and the case will be closed. Otherwise the trial will continue as if no mediation has taken place.
If you are a foreigner you can benefit from the rights listed above. You also have additional rights to facilitate your participation in the procedure.
If you do not speak Slovenian you can use any language you understand. An interpreter free of charge will be provided to assist you when you attend the court hearing. Documents and other pieces of evidence will also be translated for you free of charge.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
Can I appeal against a sentence or if the defendant is declared not guilty?
What rights do I have after the court sentence enters into force?
The trial will end with the court convicting the defendant or declaring him/her not guilty. You will receive a certified copy of the court’s decision if you have a right to appeal. Alternatively, the final decision is sent to you, if you request it.
If you do not speak Slovenian you can ask for a translation of the decision in a language you understand. The translation of the court’s decision is free of charge.
Only the public prosecutor, the defendant and his/her lawyer can appeal against the court’s final decision as regards the guilt of the offender and/or the penalty. You as a victim can appeal against the decision only if you are not satisfied with the way the court has distributed the costs of the proceedings.
Only the public prosecutor, the defendant and his/her lawyer have the right to appeal further against the decision of the second instance court.
When the sentence enters into force your role in the proceedings is generally over. Slovenian legislation does not provide victims with the right to receive information about the release of the offender.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
Ministry of the Interior, Witness Protection Unit
The Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office
Commission for the Protection of Endangered Persons
Society Ključ – Centre for Fight Against Trafficking in Human Beings
Association against Violent Communication
White Ring of Slovenia - Association for the Help to the Victims of Crime
Association for the Promotion and Development of the Quality of Life Papilot
SOS Help Line for Women and Children - Victims of Violence
The Ministry of Justice performs expert and logistic tasks for the Committee that decides on compensation claims. Its departments responsible for the protection of victims’ interests are Directorate for Justice Administration, Sector for Justice Supervision, etc.
The Ministry of Justice
CONTACTS:
Website: https://www.gov.si/drzavni-organi/ministrstva/ministrstvo-za-pravosodje/
The Ministry of the Interior has a special unit of the police responsible for protection of victims’ interests called the Witness Protection Unit. It proposes, organises and implements the measures of protection under the witness protection programme.
The Witness Protection Unit under the Ministry of the Interior
CONTACTS:
Website: http://www.policija.si/
The Supreme State Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Slovenia is the highest-ranking prosecutor's office in the country, within which operate supreme and higher state prosecutors, district state prosecutors assigned to the Supreme State Prosecutor's Office for performing demanding professional tasks, and state prosecutors operating within the group of state prosecutors for the prosecution of organised crime.
The Supreme State Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Slovenia
CONTACTS:
Website: http://www.dt-rs.si/
The Commission for the Protection of Endangered Persons decides on the inclusion of specific persons in the witness protection programme and the termination of such programme.
The Commission for the Protection of Endangered Persons
CONTACTS:
Information on the members of the Commission may only be provided at the request of the court for the purpose of a criminal proceeding.
The Social Work Centres are public social care institutions. A multidisciplinary team is formed at each Social Work Centre to deal with the instances of family violence. Such team prepares the aid plans for particular victims of family violence.
The Social Work Centres
CONTACTS:
For the contact details of all Social Work Centres click here.
The Society Ključ is a non-governmental, non-profit and humanitarian oriented organisation. It is the strongest Slovene organisation regarding preventive and curative activities in the field of fighting trafficking in human beings.
The Society Ključ
CONTACTS:
Website: http://drustvo-kljuc.si/
The Association against Violent Communication is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1996, dedicated to violence prevention and spreading principles of non-violent communication.
The Association Against Violent Communication
CONTACTS:
Website: http://www.drustvo-dnk.si/
The White Ring of Slovenia is part of a wide network of White Ring associations across Europe, which was established in December 2003. It is a network (ring), entered by victims in need of assistance and those who can help them.
The White Ring of Slovenia
CONTACTS:
Website: http://www.beliobroc.si/
Papilot is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation, which provides help, advice or information to victims of crime or any other form of violence. It also runs several programmes for the prevention of unemployment and implementation of active employment policy.
The Association for the Promotion and Development of the Quality of Life Papilot
CONTACTS:
Website: http://www.papilot.si/
The SOS Help Line for Women and Children - Victims of Violence implements different forms of psychosocial support for women and children – victims of domestic violence. It provides counselling and information via a free telephone line and shelter (safe housing), and organises self-help groups.
The SOS Help Line for Women and Children – Victims of Violence
CONTACTS:
Website: http://www.drustvo-sos.si/
The Women’s Counselling, established in 1993, is a voluntary women’s organisation (from October 1994 formally an association), operating in the field of psycho-social support and self-help of women who are victims of violence or suffer from eating disorders.
The Women’s Counselling
CONTACTS:
Website: http://www.drustvo-zenska-svetovalnica.si/
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.