Putting Victims First: Building Cooperation to Protect Their Rights
October 27, 2025
Behind every criminal case stands a person who has suffered loss, trauma, or injustice. Ensuring their rights and dignity requires more than good laws – it demands genuine cooperation between institutions. Only when victims are supported at every stage of the process can justice truly serve them.
With this in mind, the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine brought together representatives from the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG) for a full-day workshop, on 23 October, dedicated to improving how institutions work together to protect the rights of victims and witnesses. The event gathered professionals who meet those affected by some of the gravest crimes committed during the war, including investigators from the Security Service of Ukraine and war crimes prosecutors and victims’ rights coordinators from the Office of the Prosecutor General.
Participants exchanged experiences, shared challenges, and discussed what a truly victim-centred approach means in practice. Veronika Plotnikova, Head of the OPG’s Victim and Witness Coordination Centre, presented the Centre’s work and its growing network of specialists providing support and guidance to victims. Ola Quarnström, EUAM Senior Adviser on Victims’ Rights, shared international practices that place the victim’s well-being at the heart of investigations. The SSU, in turn, shared insights from its daily work with victims and survivors of war crimes, including those who endured captivity, torture, and sexual violence.
Throughout the day, participants worked together on case scenarios, exchanged views, and agreed on a set of shared principles to strengthen interagency cooperation in dealing with victims and witnesses. These principles aim to make every interaction – from the first interview to the courtroom – more humane, respectful, and fair.
EUAM Ukraine places great emphasis on ensuring the rights of victims of international crime and will continue to support civilian security sector institutions in their efforts to protect the rights of victims.
