Will you be reimbursed if the culprit is unknown or has no money?

Are you a victim of a deliberate act of violence but the perpetrator is unknown or insolvent? If so, you may be able to appeal to the Victims' Fund, known in full as the "Fund to help victims of deliberate acts of violence and occasional rescuers". The victim fund is a solidarity fund for victims who cannot get compensation for the damage suffered from the perpetrator. The state can intervene in such cases and does so with the contributions that convicts are obliged to pay to the fund.

The main conditions are:

• You are a victim of an intentional act of violence or an act of terrorism
• There must be serious physical or psychological harm that is the direct result of the crime.
• You have taken all reasonable steps to recover the damage from the actual perpetrator. An exception is possible if you can show that recovery is too uncertain, would take too long or has no chance of success.

In certain cases, you do not have to be a direct victim yourself to appeal to the victims' fund. Next of kin, relatives of missing persons and persons who have suffered damage by providing assistance to a victim of an intentional act of violence or to a person whose life was in danger can also apply.

Patience is (unfortunately) a virtue. The waiting time ran to more than 2 years in recent years. Therefore, since February 2023, you can use the accelerated procedure. In that case, you (or your lawyer) will not be heard but the procedure is entirely in writing.

If you meet the requirements, you can file a petition with the Victims' Fund Commission. You can do this yourself, but a lawyer can assist you in this with their experience and knowledge, especially if you want to be heard by the Commission.