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Safety · Switzerland
Updated September 2026

🤲 I was the victim of a crime — what help and compensation can I get?

Direct answer

Every EU country must offer victims free support, information and, for violent crime, state compensation — regardless of whether the offender is caught. Opferhilfe Schweiz (kantonale Beratungsstellen) (opferhilfe-schweiz.ch) is the victim-support service for Switzerland: emotional support, help with the police and the court, practical help with insurers and employers, and the compensation application. Kantonspolizei — Suisse ePolice (suisse-epolice.ch) takes the report; ask for your rights as a victim in writing and for updates on the case. Unentgeltliche Rechtspflege (Gericht) / Rechtsauskunft des Kantons (ch.ch) covers legal costs if you need a lawyer in the proceedings.

Call firstOpferhilfe Schweiz (kantonale Beratungsstellen)
Report toKantonspolizei — Suisse ePolice
If that failsUnentgeltliche Rechtspflege (Gericht) / Rechtsauskunft des Kantons

🗣️ What to say

"I was the victim of [crime] on [date]; police report [number]. I would like support with [the procedure / compensation / practical matters] and to be informed about my rights and the progress of the case."

🪜 Step by step

  1. Report if you have notRights as a victim — information, protection, compensation — mostly start with the report.
  2. Contact Opferhilfe Schweiz (kantonale Beratungsstellen)They call you back, explain what happens next, and stay with you through the process.
  3. Ask for updatesYou have the right to be informed of the decision to prosecute, the trial date and the release of the offender, if you ask.
  4. CompensationFrom the offender in the criminal case, from insurers, and for violent crime from the state fund — Opferhilfe Schweiz (kantonale Beratungsstellen) files it with you. Deadlines apply (often 1–3 years).
  5. Legal aid: Unentgeltliche Rechtspflege (Gericht) / Rechtsauskunft des KantonsFor a lawyer to join the case as a civil party, free below an income threshold.

📇 All contacts

Opferhilfe Schweiz (kantonale Beratungsstellen)Statutory victim support: advice, emergency help, compensationAfter any crime🔗 www.opferhilfe-schweiz.ch
Kantonspolizei — Suisse ePoliceReport online or at the stationAlways; you need the reference for the bank🔗 www.suisse-epolice.ch
Unentgeltliche Rechtspflege (Gericht) / Rechtsauskunft des KantonsFree legal information and court costs on low incomeWhen you cannot afford a lawyer🔗 www.ch.ch/de/gerichte/unentgeltliche-rechtspflege
Opferhilfe-Beratungsstelle / Frauenberatung sexuelle GewaltFree support after sexual violenceAnytime, also without a report🔗 www.opferhilfe-schweiz.ch

❓ Frequently asked

The offender was never found

State compensation for violent crime does not depend on a conviction; it depends on the report and the injury.

I was a victim in another EU country

You can report at home and the report is transferred; support services cooperate across borders. Opferhilfe Schweiz (kantonale Beratungsstellen) starts the process.

Can I get protection from the offender?

Protection orders, address confidentiality and separate waiting rooms at court exist; ask Opferhilfe Schweiz (kantonale Beratungsstellen) and the police explicitly.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

🔎 Common searches

Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.

  • “victim support Switzerland”
  • “crime victim compensation Switzerland”
  • “victim rights information case”
  • “help after crime free”
  • “state compensation violent crime”

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Related questions

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