Criminal Procedure

The Criminal Procedure consists of a preliminary investigation, consideration of charges, legal proceedings as well as sentencing. The purpose of the Criminal Procedure is to investigate whether a crime has happened and who it has been committed by.

You can find more information on the Criminal Procedure and its progress in this RIKU’s video. We recommend that you also read through our frequently asked questions section or Practical Legal Guide for Victims of Violent Crime (finnish) or our guide Criminal Justice Process Information for Young Victims of Crime.

Support person

If you wish, you can ask a support person from Victim Support Finland to come with you to the police station, to mediation and to court by using the following contact form. You can talk about your experiences with the support person. He or she will support and advise you in a timely manner, help you find a lawyer and help you with other practical arrangements.

More information on officials’ and interpreters’ roles in Finland can be found on this video.

If the video doesn’t appear, watch it here.