Being the victim of a crime can be a life-changing experience. For many victims, dealing with the police, prosecutors, and the court system is just as difficult as coping with the consequences of the crime itself.
If you have been the victim of a serious crime, you are entitled to a legal counsel who will support you throughout the criminal proceedings. A counsel for the injured party is an attorney or legal professional appointed by the court to represent your interests as a victim – from your first contact with the judicial system through the trial and the determination of damages. As your legal counsel in Stockholm, serving clients throughout Sweden, Advokatfirman XXV fights for your justice.
You may request a specific law firm, attorney, or legal professional to serve as your counsel for the injured party. If you, as a victim of crime, would like support and assistance right now, please feel free to contact Advokatfirman XXV for free legal advice. We specialize in representing victims of crime.
For someone who has been the victim of a crime, a competent legal counsel can be crucial to obtaining justice. The same applies to coping with and getting through the legal process. The role of the counsel of the injured party is to serve as the victim’s legal advisor and source of support during both the preliminary investigation and the trial, as well as afterward. It is important that the counsel works diligently to help the victim, the police, and the prosecutor move the preliminary investigation forward.
The counsel for the injured party shall, among other things:
Your legal counsel will be by your side, maintaining contact with the police, the prosecutor, and the court, and working to ensure that your rights are upheld and justice is served. This way, you won’t have to go through the process alone.
If you have been the victim of serious crimes that infringe on your personal integrity, or if your circumstances mean you have a special need for support, you are generally entitled to a legal counsel. Common examples include rape and other sexual offenses, aggravated domestic violence, assault, robbery, kidnapping, and honor-related crimes. However, even if you have been the victim of other types of crimes, you may still be entitled to a legal counsel, provided that, based on your personal circumstances or other factors, it can be assumed that you have a particularly strong need for one.
For free advice regarding your right to a counsel for the injured party, please feel free to contact the Advokatfirman XXV – legal counsel in Stockholm with extensive experience in representing victims of crime.
To increase your chances of getting the legal counsel you want, you should name the attorney or law firm you prefer when you first contact the police. The court will then decide whether you are entitled to a legal counsel. You can also contact the court directly – usually the district court closest to the crime scene – with your request for a counsel for the injured party.
If you do not request a specific legal representative to represent you, the court will appoint your legal counsel from a long list of attorneys and legal professionals with varying areas of expertise. If you later become dissatisfied with your counsel, you may apply to have them replaced. In that case, you should contact the court directly with your request. In some cases, though by no means always, the court will grant such a request. If you submit your request for a change of legal representative early and explain why you want to change, the likelihood that the court will grant your request increases. However, if your request to change your counsel is denied, you always have the right to hire a private attorney. In that case, however, you will generally have to pay for the counsel's fees yourself.
The cost of your legal counsel is covered by the state. This means you do not have to pay for the counsel yourself. However, if you are not entitled to a publicly funded legal counsel, you may hire a private attorney to represent you. In that case, you will generally have to pay the attorney’s fees yourself.
However, if your case is being heard outside of Stockholm and you hire an attorney who typically represents victims of crime in Stockholm, you may have to cover the additional costs (such as time spent traveling and out-of-pocket expenses) resulting from the distance between the law firm’s office and the court location.
Yes. For a crime victim, filing a police report can feel difficult and complicated. It may therefore be wise to consult a legal representative first. We can help you file a police report and represent you throughout the criminal proceedings. For free advice regarding filing a police report, please contact Advokatfirman XXV–your legal representative in Stockholm–at +46 (0)8-30 45 45 or info@xxv.se.
If you have been the victim of a crime, you are advised to file a police report as soon as possible. The sooner you report the crime to the police, the greater is the chance of securing important evidence such as DNA traces, witnesses, surveillance footage, etc. In many cases, it is necessary for you, as the victim, to file a police report for a crime to be detected and for the police and prosecutors to begin investigating it. A criminal investigation, also known as a preliminary investigation, is in turn necessary to have the perpetrator convicted and to give you the opportunity for redress and compensation.
Yes, your legal counsel can help you seek various forms of compensation. For example, you may be eligible for compensation for:
The amount of compensation depends on the nature of the crime and the harm or consequences you have suffered as a result of the crime. If the offender is unable to pay, you may in some cases receive compensation from the government in the form of crime victim compensation. Your legal counsel will assist you, among other things, in assessing and substantiating the claim for damages and gathering evidence to support it.
