On March 5th, the First Chamber in The Hague passed the bill that stipulates that the ‘Wet Schadefonds Geweldsmisdrijven’ will also apply to the Caribbean Netherlands. This is an important first step in improving the position of victims in the Caribbean Netherlands.
From April 1st, 2019, victims of violent crimes committed in Bonaire, St. Eustatius or Saba are eligible for a one-off compensation payment from the Schadefonds. The extension of the law applies to crimes committed on or after January 1st, 2017.
Schadefonds Geweldsmisdrijven provides a one-off compensation payment to:
• victims of violent crimes who have or have had serious physical and/or psychological problems (injury) as a result of the crime
• surviving relatives of victims of a violent crime or death-by-offense
• relatives of victims who have serious and permanent physical and/or psychological problems (injury) as a result of a violent crime
With the compensation payment, the Schadefonds, on behalf of society and commissioned by the government, recognizes the injustice that has been done. In this way Schadefonds contributes to restoring trust and gives justice to the victims and their relatives.
Applications can be submitted digitally via Bureau Slachtofferhulp from April 1st.
For more information regarding Schadefonds you can visit www.schadefondsCN.com.