Sweden

Sweden has a criminal injuries compensation program to provide financial compensation for victims of violent, personal, and property crime.

Eligibility Requirements

Report to police. Yes; with no time limit. However, exceptions can be made if the victim can establish a good reason why a report was not made.

Filing period. Within 2 years of the date the criminal case is closed. Exceptions are possible, such as when the crime victim is a child when the proceedings are completed and dependent on an adult to file the application.

Foreign citizen eligibility. Citizens of foreign countries who are victims of crime on Swedish territory are eligible to apply for compensation. However, if the victim's and offender's affiliation to Sweden is transitory in nature, compensation may not be awarded even though the crime occurred on Swedish soil.

Claimants

Procedures

Application forms are available at local police stations, district courts, local enforcement service offices, insurance companies, and from the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority, which is a central agency covering criminal injuries throughout the country. Application forms in Swedish are also available at victim services offices and can be printed from the Web (www.brottsoffermyndigheten.se). Completed applications must be sent to the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority for consideration. The claimant is generally notified of the program's decision within 4 months. Compensation will be received within 1 to 2 weeks. Compensation from the state will be granted only if the victim has no possibility of receiving compensation from other sources.

Benefits and Award Limits

Awards are made in Swedish krona (SKr). Violation of personal integrity (sexual assault, robbery, assault, home invasion) results in 10 times the basic amount. In 2003, this was SKr38,600.

Compensable costs

Funding sources. The program is funded by tax revenue.

Contact Information

Brottsoffermyndigheten (the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority)
Box 470, S-901 09 Umeå, Sweden
Telephone: 46-90-16-57-10
Fax: 46-90-17-83-53
E-mail: registrator@brottsoffermyndigheten.se
Internet: www.brottsoffermyndigheten.se (partial English translation)

Languages used—
• On application forms: Swedish, English
• In correspondence: Swedish, English
• By telephone: Swedish, English

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