Skopje, 17 October 2024 (MIA) - The office of the State Commission on Compensation for Victims of Violent Crimes has been opened Thursday at the Ministry of Justice.

According to the Justice Minister Igor Filkov, during today’s press conference after the office opening, the Justice Ministry has been working on securing and implementing activities to complete the administrative, technical and legal processes necessary for the Commission to operate as an independent entity.

“Despite the fact that the Law on Monetary Compensation to Victims of Violent Crimes entered into force on 25 November 2022, and started being applied on 25 May 2023, it has taken a full 17 months for the Ministry of Justice to secure adequate facilities for the Commission on Compensation of Victims of Violent Crimes, established on 13 February 2024,” Filkov said.

Commission’s President Cvetanka Perikj said that the Commission is starting its operations today.

“We are starting our work as an independent legal entity. There was a need for registration and for securing office space within the ministry. We will begin our operation today, and I hope that we will see results in the next session,” she noted.

The objective of this law is to guarantee monetary compensation for victims of violent crimes as aid from the state, in accordance with the principle of social solidarity, while also preventing secondary victimization - additional distress that victims may face due to the response of the competent authorities.

Photo: MIA