The police have far-reaching obligations to inform victims of crime about their rights.
More than one million people who are exposed to crime in Sweden each year have the right to, among other things, receive information about what support they can receive as a victim of crime.
But according to the National Audit Office's review, there are several shortcomings in the police's work with information for victims of crime.
With regard to reports of rape, for example, information has only been provided about the victim's right to have a plaintiff's counsel in 43 per cent of the cases.
An information about a right that is often crucial for him to be able to participate in the investigation.
Difficult to interpret decisions
In addition to the fact that victims of crime do not always receive the correct information at the time of reporting, or are informed on an ongoing basis during the legal process, the National Audit Office has also identified problems when a preliminary investigation is closed or a report is written off.
The decisions are communicated in a formal legal language which means that many simply do not understand why the decision has been made.
- In summary, the shortcomings are that the police authority has given employees extensive, important and complex tasks without at the same time giving them good conditions to be able to carry out the tasks, says Tove Lindström.
Only six weeks of training
The review shows, among other things, that the employees at the police contact center who receive just over 40 percent of the reports only have a total of six weeks of training.
In order for the police to improve their information, the Swedish National Audit Office recommends a number of measures. Among other things, the Police Authority should develop routines that ensure that victims receive the information they are entitled to throughout the case, to review and adapt the support to employees whose task is to inform victims and review the training and follow up and regularly evaluate how and in which to the extent that those who are exposed to crime receive the information to which they are entitled.