Reporting the crime

If you have been the victim of crime abroad, the general rule is that you must report the crime in the country where it was committed. If it was not possible for you to report the crime in the country where it was committed, and it was committed in another EU member state, you can report the crime to the Danish police.

Sexual abuse and gross violence, etc., committed in another EU member state can be reported to the police in Denmark, but it is always a good idea to report the offence in the country where the incident occurred.

Legal advocate

If you have been the victim of crime, you can sometimes be assigned a legal advocate. This is particularly relevant if you have been sexually assaulted or experienced gross violence. The police in Denmark will tell you about your options for obtaining a legal advocate. If you have a legal advocate in the country where the offence was committed, you will not be able to get one in Denmark (as well). The legal advocate is an attorney who can help you and safeguard your interests throughout the criminal justice process, at no cost to yourself.

Compensation

If you have suffered injuries, for example after violence, as a victim of certain crimes you may be eligible for compensation from the state. The compensation awarded under the Victims Compensation Act is, however, limited to a very few cases where the offence was committed abroad.

You may be able to get compensation if the offence was committed during travel abroad in connection with your job.

Under the practice of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, you will be able to get compensation as a tourist if the injury arose as a consequence of violence committed by another Dane with whom you are travelling – for example, if you are on a school trip together. In other situations, you will not be eligible for compensation from the Danish state.

You can read more about the conditions for getting compensation under the Victims Compensation Act on the website of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. In situations when you cannot get compensation under the Victims Compensation Act, you may apply for compensation in the country where the offence was committed. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board can help you with the process of applying for compensation.

If the offence was committed in a country outside the EU, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Citizens' Services Office or the Danish embassy to the country in question may be able to help you find a local, English-speaking attorney who can help you apply for compensation. 

Who can help?

If you need advice or guidance in addition to what the police, the prosecution service, or your legal advocate gives you, there are several places you can contact. Victim Support Denmark can put you in contact with professionals who can offer various types of advice and guidance. You can also contact this service if you need to talk to someone anonymously. Every police district has a Victim Support service. You can find addresses and read more on the website of Victim Support Denmark.

Your local authority can often help if you need support as a result of the crime committed against you. In some cases, your own doctor can refer you to a psychologist.