Article 20

Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA · European Union

Without prejudice to the rights of the defence and in accordance with rules of judicial discretion, Member States shall ensure that during criminal investigations: interviews of victims are conducted without unjustified delay after the complaint with regard to a criminal offence has been made to the competent authority; the number of interviews of victims is kept to a minimum and interviews are carried out only where strictly necessary for the purposes of the criminal investigation; victims may be accompanied by their legal representative and a person of their choice, unless a reasoned decision has been made to the contrary; medical examinations are kept to a minimum and are carried out only where strictly necessary for the purposes of the criminal proceedings.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-10-31 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.