Criminal detention and alternatives: fundamental rights aspects in EU cross-border transfers Right to be informed of release According to Article 6 (5)–(6) of the Victims’ Rights Directive, victims have a right to request to be informed when an offender will be released from, or has escaped, detention. Authorities should provide such information at least when victims are in danger, unless this would put the offender at risk. This is especially important in the context of violent crimes, where a sentenced person’s release may involve a threat of retaliation to victims and their families. Member States should consider informing victims if suspects or sentenced persons are released back into the community under the Framework Decision on the ESO or the Framework Decision on probation and alternative sanctions. FRA’s evidence shows that in at least two-thirds of Member States, victims have the right to be informed about the impending release of an offender – especially in, and sometimes limited to, cases where authorities believe that the victim is at risk as a result of the release. Member States that have, either as issuing state or executing state, established in law the right of victims to be informed of suspects’, accused or sentenced persons’ release include Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, and Portugal. Figure 18 provides an overview by issuing state and executing state. Other states offer this information to victims in practice only (Cyprus, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, and Slovakia). In the remaining states, either no practice has been established or insufficient data was provided in the course of the research. In the Netherlands, while there is no procedure for providing such information in cases of transfers of sentences, according to general procedure, the prosecutor has to inform the victim about the release of the sentenced person in cases involving serious crimes.332 In Latvia, recognised victims have a right to request and receive information about the perpetrator’s release or escape from prison or temporary detention if there is a danger to the victim and there is no risk of harm to the detained or sentenced person.333 Similar rules apply in Slovakia334 and in Cyprus, where victims have the right to be informed of the sentenced person’s release only in cases of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation of 332 Netherlands, Code of Criminal Procedure (Wetboek van Strafvordering), 11 March 1979, Art. 51 a. 333 Latvia, Draft Law on Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law (Likumprojekts ‘Grozījumi Kriminālprocesa likumā’), 11 June 2015. 334 Slovakia, Criminal Procedure Code (Zákon č. 301/2005 Z. z. Trestný poriadok) Section 46, paras. 8 and 9. 102 children and in cases of human trafficking, and provided the police believe the victim to be at risk.335 In practice, victims are often not informed unless they have expressed this wish beforehand. For example, in Austria, the victim must be informed about the initial release, as well as the forthcoming or concluded release of the convict. However, the victim must have requested to be informed about this issue during the course of the trial.336 Victims in Lithuania also have a general right to be informed of the convict’s release from a correctional institution337 or a suspect’s release from detention if they express their wish to be informed.338 Other Member States have a clearer procedure in place with regard to informing victims; for example, in Croatia, the Probation Office must produce a report on preparing a victim and his or her family for the temporary release of a prisoner,339 while victims must also be informed about terminations of pre-trial detention.340 The victim’s right to information about release becomes more complex where a prisoner has been transferred; for example, in Germany, once a prisoner has been transferred, the victim would have to request the information from the authorities in the executing state, and foreign law applies.341 Other Member States are careful to balance a victim’s right to information with the rights of the offender. In Denmark, notifications of release can be denied if, in the interest of the perpetrator, there are strong reasons not to grant them.342 This could, for 335 Cyprus, Law on the prevention and combating of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography (O περί της Πρόληψης και της Καταπολέμησης της Σεξουαλικής Κακοποίησης, της Σεξουαλικής Εκμετάλλευσης Παιδιών και της Παιδικής Πορνογραφίας Νόμος του 2014) No. 91(Ι)/2014, 4 July 2014, Art. 36 (2); Law revising the legal framework regulating the prevention, combating of trafficking and exploitation of persons and protection of victims (Nόμος που αναθεωρεί το νομικό πλαίσιο που διέπει την πρόληψη και την καταπολέμηση της εμπορίας προσώπων και την προστασία των θυμάτων) No. 60(I)/2014, 15 April 2014, Art. 32 (2). 336 Austria, Penitentiary System Act (Bundesgesetz vom 26. März 1969 über den Vollzug der Freiheitsstrafen und der mit Freiheitsentziehung verbundenen vorbeugenden Maßnahmen (Strafvollzugsgesetz – StVG)), BGBl. No. 144/1969, 26 March 1969, para. 149 (5). 337 Lithuania, Code of Enforcement of Punishments of the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Republikos bausmių vykdymo kodeksas), Art. 180 (8). 338 Lithuania, Code of Criminal Procedure (Baudžiamojo proceso kodeksas), 14 March 2002, Art. 128 (1) and 128 (4). 339 Croatia, The Ordinance on the Administration of Probation (Pravilnik o načinu obavljanja probacijskih poslova), Art. 7 (1). 340 Croatia, The Criminal Procedure Act, Official Gazette, Nos. 152/08, 76/09, 80/11, 121/11, 91/12, 143/12, 56/13,145/13, and 152/14, Art. 125 (9). 341 Germany, Representative of the Ministry for Justice of North Rhine Westphalia ( Justizministerium des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen). 342 Denmark, Consolidated Act No. 1308 of 9 December 2014 on Administration of justice, as amended (Bekendtgørelse nr. 1308 af. 9. December 2014 af lov om rettens pleje med senere ændringer), 9 December 2014, Section 741 g.