Help and support

01:04

Voices about help and support

Transcript

Patrik Lundberg, author and journalist, says: There’s a macho ideal among people who write and publish. “I’m not going to show weakness. I’m not going to show that they affect me in any way.”, “It doesn’t get on my nerves,” many say. But I think it’s destructive to take that approach. It’s dangerous.

Irena Pozar, journalist, says: We have to get better at putting words to how sick it is that it looks like this.

Ulf Mellström, researcher, says: Talking about it means communicating that this has happened to me. Then you don’t carry it inside, but open up for a dialogue.

Bianca Kronlöf, actor and comedian, says: Friends mean a lot, partly so that you don’t feel alone. Loneliness is so dangerous because it leads to fear and it leads to silence. You need friends that support you, back you up and when you’re in the struggle, together with many other people, you get incredibly strengthened.

A right to make your voice heard

It may be hard to talk about the victimisation. Some people blame themselves or think that it is part of their job and that it is therefore something they must endure. This is not the case. Being threatened and hated is not a part of anyone’s job and you should not have to endure it. Nor do you have any blame for what you have been subjected to. Talking about what you have been subjected to may be the first step towards this insight. By talking about it, you also have a possibility to get help and support from others.

Sometimes, it might feel as if you want to change jobs or leave an assignment because you receive threats and hatred. You might choose not to express your opinion out of fear for being subjected to threats and hatred. Remember that you are not alone and that there is help and support available. You have the right to make your voice heard.

There is no right way to react when subjected to crime and our capacity of coping varies throughout the life.

Josefin Grände, Licensed Psychotherapist

You can get different kinds of support

There are different kinds of help and support to get if you have been subjected to threats and hatred. If you have an employment, you usually have an employer you can turn to. At some workplaces, there are security coordinators to report to.

Even if you do not have an employer, you can always turn to the healthcare services and non-profit organisations. You can get support regardless of whether you have filed a police report or not.

If you are politically elected, you are not formally employed. It is up to the parties and the political assembly to take responsibility for you and your working environment. If you are subjected to threats and hatred, you should report it to a security manager or the equivalent in the municipality or region in which you are active. You can also turn to a security manager or the equivalent in your party.

Support from the social services and non-profit organisations

The social services in your home municipality have a responsibility to ensure that those subjected to crime and their relatives receive help and support. This may concern psychological and social support, as well as financial and practical help. Contact the social services in your municipality to get more information.

There are also several non-profit organisations that work to help and support victims of crime. Among other things, they can offer you conversational support and practical help. It is free of charge for you to contact a non-profit organisation and you can remain anonymous. You do not need to have filed a police report to get help. The national organisations that are under the page Get in touch can help you get in touch with a local organisation near you.

Get in touch.

You should not be afraid of asking for help. What you are subjected to is very serious and can really have an impact.

Aida Badeli, politically elected representative

If you need protection

If you are threatened or subjected to violence, you can get help to protect yourself. It is therefore important to tell the police if you are afraid, feel unsafe or if you believe you may be victimised again. The police have a special crime victim and personal security unit that does a threat and risk assessment during the investigation.

If the threat against you is serious and there is a risk that you will be a victim of crime, the police can offer a protection package that among other things includes an alarm telephone, an alarm and a contact person at the police. There is a crime victim and personal security unit in all police districts.

How to apply for a restraining order

You always have a possibility to apply for a restraining order. Such an order means that if there is a risk of somebody persecuting, harassing or committing a crime against you, he or she can be prohibited from visiting or contacting you. A restraining order applies for a set period of time, but can be extended if there is a continued risk of you being victimised. If you want to apply for a restraining order, you must turn to the Police Authority or the Prosecution Authority. It is then a prosecutor who decides on a restraining order. If a person violates an issued restraining order, you must always contact the police to file a report.

Protection of your personal information

There are also measures that protect your personal information.

Secrecy marking is a measure that makes it harder for others to access your personal information in the population register.
Protected national registration provides a stronger protection than secrecy marking. The measure means that you may be nationally registered in your former municipality even though you have moved to another municipality. Your earlier address information is removed and your new address is not registered in the population register.
Fictitious information means that you receive a new name and a new personal ID number.

You apply for secrecy marking and protected national registration at the Swedish Tax Agency. In order to apply for fictitious personal information, you must contact the Police Authority.

Help and support after a police report

You can receive help and support in various ways after a police report.

Legal help in interviews and trial

For certain types of crimes, you as a victim have a right to legal counsel, known as counsel for an injured party.

Support person for interviews and trial

You can take somebody you know with you or turn to the social services or a support organisation for victims of crime or a women’s refuge if you want to bring a support person with you to police interviews and trial.

Witness support in court

In order to get support and practical information prior to a trial, you can get help from witness support that is in the court.

If you need an interpreter

If you do not speak Swedish, have speech difficulties or a serious hearing impairment, you have the right to an interpreter free of charge, for example, when filing a police report, during the preliminary investigation and during the trial.

The Swedish Crime Victim Authority’s information to you as a victim of crime.