Anna Hollander

Crime Victims in the Swedish Social Services Act

This article is a legal analysis of the Swedish welfare statute and its application to crime victims. Specifically, it addresses a legal reform from 2001, when a new provision concerning crime victims was introduced in the Swedish Social Services Act (2001:453). The article raises policy issues, relating both to the limitations on the rights bestowed and the relationship between the various types of statutory provisions incorporated in the legislation. In particular, it focuses on the dichotomy between those provisions bestowing rights and those outlining goals. The main conclusion of the study is that the legal guidance regarding crime victims in the Social Services Act is vague, indistinct and contradictory. Additionally, section 5:11 does not change the legal responsibility of the Social Services towards crime victims, nor does it lead to the strengthening of the social rights of this group. Even the preparatory material indicates that the reform does not effect any legal changes. In addition, just like many other legal reforms for crime victims, very little supervision or enforcement mechanisms exist to ensure the application of the law.