Victim Support Office

Victim Support Tasks

The Victim Support Office offers a listening ear so you can talk about what happened to you. All sorts of feelings can surface, and sometimes it's hard to process them alone. Victim Support can offer support.

For advice and assistance, please call:

• + 599 717 6181 - Bonaire
• + 599 790 0426 - Sint Eustatius
• + 599 790 0019 - Saba

You can also send an email to: passiehulp@politiecn.com .

The Victim Support Office can offer practical assistance with writing letters and filling out forms. Staff can accompany or support you during doctor or police visits. On a legal level, the Victim Support Office provides information on insurance and legal procedures.

Some examples of crimes include burglary, stalking, robbery, sexual assault, assault, and domestic violence. The Victim Support Office isn't just there for victims. Other involved parties, such as relatives, family, witnesses, and acquaintances, can also find help.

They also advise parents and other concerned parties on how best to deal with children or young people who have experienced or been involved in a shocking event.

The help is free.

Victims of Violent Crimes Compensation Fund

The Victims of Violent Crimes Compensation Fund (hereinafter: Victims of Violent Crimes) provides financial compensation (a one-time payment) to people who have been victims of a violent crime resulting in serious psychological or physical injury. This also applies to surviving relatives of victims of a violent crime and a criminal offense as defined in Article 320 of the BES Criminal Code, and to loved ones of victims who have suffered serious and permanent injuries as a result of a violent crime. They may also be eligible for compensation. 

Purpose of compensation

With this compensation, the Compensation Fund—on behalf of society and the government—acknowledges the injustice done to victims. In this way, the Compensation Fund contributes to restoring trust and providing justice for victims and their families.

When is a victim or surviving relative eligible for financial compensation?

To be eligible for financial compensation as a victim or surviving relative, the following legal criteria must be met:

• It is likely that someone is the victim of an intentionally committed violent crime or manslaughter crime
• The victim suffered serious injuries or died as a result
• The crime was committed in the Caribbean Netherlands after January 1, 2017
• The victim or surviving relative has no share of their own
• The damage has not been compensated in any other way
• The application was submitted within 10 years of the crime  

When is a loved one eligible for financial compensation?

To be eligible for financial compensation as a next of kin, the following legal criteria must be met:

• It is likely that someone is the victim of a deliberately committed violent crime 
• The victim suffered serious and permanent injuries as a result 
• The crime was committed in the Caribbean Netherlands after January 1, 2019
• The victim or loved one has no part of it
• The damage has not been compensated in any other way
• The application was submitted within 10 years of the crime

When is there a violent crime committed intentionally?

Violence can consist of:

• Physical and psychological violence 
• Abuse    
• Public violence 
• Threat of violence 
• Human trafficking  
• Harassment
• Rape
• Robbery with violence and murder and manslaughter are crimes that are always classified as: violent crime.

Even if a victim is subjected to significant psychological pressure, a violent crime can occur. The element of violence can, for example, involve creating a specific situation or abusing circumstances. Examples of such crimes include sexual offenses. A significant age difference, a relationship of authority, or a dependent position relative to the perpetrator are examples of circumstances that can be equated with violence.

Why does the Compensation Fund need documents from the police and/or the Public Prosecution Service?

The crime and its course of events, the motive, and the circumstances of the crime must be clarified by objective information. The Compensation Fund assesses whether the victim is a victim, not a perpetrator. To do this, the Fund requires information from, among other things, the police and/or Public Prosecution Service files. 

Which documents can the Compensation Fund request?

• PV of declaration
• Story of the PV/stem PV
• PV of statements of suspect(s)
• PV of statements of witness(es)
• Report of findings (no official reports at the court hearing)
• Report of investigative activities
• PV of witness or expert hearings by the RC
• PV of expert statements and expert reports  Joinder form/damage claim form.

Should the perpetrator have been convicted?

No, to determine whether a violent crime or manslaughter is plausible, it is irrelevant whether the suspect has been arrested or convicted. The Fund's plausibility test is a lower standard than the test of legal and convincing evidence. Even if the case is dismissed due to insufficient evidence, the Fund requires documents from the police and/or the Public Prosecution Service, because it is still possible that the victim is entitled to compensation from the Fund.

Are the police and the Public Prosecution Service obliged to provide information to the Compensation Fund?

Yes, the provision of information is based on Article 9 of the Violent Crimes Compensation Fund Act, on Articles 6a:1 and 4:2, first paragraph, under a of the Police Data Decree, on Article 13 of the Judicial Documentation Act and on the Declarations of Good Conduct BES and on Article 10, section n, of the Judicial Documentation and Declarations of Good Conduct BES Regulation.

Are there agreements between the police, the Public Prosecution Service and the Compensation Fund?

Agreements have been concluded with the police and the Public Prosecution Service regarding the provision of information to the Compensation Fund. These agreements stipulate that the Compensation Fund will send requests for documents by email. For the police, this request is handled by the Investigations department. The agreements are in the applicant's best interest. It is essential for the applicant that the Compensation Fund receives the documents from the police and the Public Prosecution Service as quickly and completely as possible. 

What happens if the applicant has a role in the violent crime?

The Compensation Fund exists to provide financial compensation for the losses suffered by people who are victims of violence through no fault of their own. If the applicant personally contributed to the violence, this compensation is generally not appropriate, as the payment is an expression of community solidarity with the victim. The compensation is funded from general funds. It is important that the police or the Public Prosecution Service provide documents at such times. Only by reviewing statements from parties other than the applicant can we gain clarity about the applicant's contribution to the overall situation.

What happens if the applicant has already received compensation?

The Compensation Fund pays a lump sum if the damages are not compensated in another way, for example, by the perpetrator or an insurance company. To assess whether the damages have already been compensated in another way, the Compensation Fund requires the claim form in certain cases. 

What can you, as an employee of the police or the Public Prosecution Service, do for victims?

You can refer victims to the Compensation Fund. It is also in the victim's best interest to provide the Compensation Fund with documents from the official report as soon as possible. The sooner the Compensation Fund receives the documents, the sooner the applicant receives the decision and, with it, recognition for the injustice they have suffered. 

How can an application be submitted?

An application can be submitted in two ways:

1. The victim/survivor/next of kin visits the Victim Support Office and they submit the application digitally together with them.
2. The victim/survivor/next of kin downloads an application form from the website, prints it out, completes and signs it, and sends it, along with a copy of their passport/ID card/driver's license and all necessary documents, by mail to the Dutch Victims' Compensation Fund (Vakdefonds) in the European Netherlands.

The Victim Support Fund recommends submitting your application through the Victim Support Office. This is because mail from the Caribbean Netherlands to the European Netherlands can take a long time to arrive. The Victim Support Office can submit your application to the Victim Support Fund digitally, without wasting time. Furthermore, the Victim Support Office has experience completing application forms and knows exactly what is important to the Victim Support Fund. The Victim Support Office can also verify identity on behalf of the Victim Support Fund by examining the passport/ID card/driver's license on-site.

More information

More information about the Compensation Fund can be found on the website of the Dutch Caribbean National Office .