As a victim, you have the right to claim compensation for the harm that you have suffered due to a hate crime. This might be for physical or moral suffering and/or for damaged or lost property.
If you are a victim of a violent criminal offence, you are entitled to financial compensation.
Amount of compensation
The compensation is paidfrom the state budget and implies a one-time payment in the maximum amount of 4,645.30 EUR. The one-time payment can be less than the previously mentioned amount.
A victim is entitled to the compensation of:
- medical expenses, and
- lost earnings, up to 4,645.30 EUR.
The conditions that you must meet in order to receive financial compensations are:
- That you have suffered serious bodily harm or serious damage to your health as a consequence of the criminal offence
- That you are a citizen of the Republic of Croatia or an EU Member State, i.e., that you have registered residence in the Republic of Croatia or an EU Member State
- That you reported the criminal of the offence, i.e., that the incident is recorded at the police or the State Attorney’s Office within 6 months from the day the criminal offence was commited, regardless of whether criminal proceedings have been instituted
- That you have submitted a request for compensation in writing on an official form, along with all the required supporting documentation. The filled-out request form is submitted to the Ministry of Justice.
The request form is available at every police station, State Attorney’s Office, municipal and county courts and on the websites of the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of the Interior, as well as websites from municipal and county county courts.
Civil claim
If you have not requested compensation during the trial or wish to receive a compensation for the harm suffered due to an administrative offence, you can lodge a civil claim for damages. This claim must be submitted to the civil court. You can file a civil claim for damages even if the criminal court has acquitted the accused.
If you participate in the proceedings as an injured party, you have the right to file an associated action for damages. An associated action for damages in criminal proceedings is a request for claiming compensation from the perpetrator. This can include compensation for material or non-material damage, a return of belongings or annulment of specific legal transactions (eg. If the perpetrator forced you to conclude a contract).
Compensation & Human rights
Compensation for victims is one of the components of proper redress in cases where suffering has been experienced from hate crimes. Therefore, the State is responsible, firstly, to ensure that the legal framework provides for an opportunity to request such compensation, and secondly, to ensure that the claims for compensation are considered by the pertinent state authorities according to law.
The failure to ensure the legal regulations providing for compensation, or the failure by the pertinent state authorities to award compensation according to the appropriate legal regulations, may result in a violation of the right to an effective remedy.