Training of practitioners
Article 25
Open ↗1. Member States shall ensure that officials likely to come into contact with victims, such as police officers and court staff, receive both general and specialist training to a level appropriate to their contact with victims to increase their awareness of the needs of victims, to enable them to deal with victims in an impartial, respectful, non-discriminatory and professional manner and, where relevant, in a trauma-sensitive, gender-sensitive, disability-sensitive and child-sensitive manner and to avoid secondary victimisation. Training shall also be provided in relation to victims of cybercrime. 2. Without prejudice to judicial independence and differences in the organisation of the judiciary across the Union, Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that both general and specialist training is provided for judges and prosecutors involved in criminal investigations and criminal proceedings with regard to the objectives of this Directive and appropriate to the functions of those judges and prosecutors. Such training shall be human rights based, victim-centred and gender-, disability- and child- sensitive. 3. Without prejudice to the independence of the legal profession, Member States shall recommend that those responsible for the training of lawyers make available both general and specialist training to increase the awareness of lawyers of the needs of victims and to enable them to treat victims in a trauma-, gender-, disability- and child-sensitive manner. 4. Through their public services or by funding victim support organisations, Member States shall encourage initiatives enabling those providing victim support and restorative justice services to receive adequate training to a level appropriate to their contact with victims and observe professional standards to ensure such services are provided in an impartial, respectful, non-discriminatory, child-sensitive and professional manner. 5. In accordance with the duties involved, and the nature and level of contact the practitioner, including relevant health practitioners, has with victims, training shall aim to enable the practitioner to recognise victims and to treat them in a respectful, professional and non-discriminatory manner. 6. Training referred to in this Article shall take into account the protocols or guidelines referred to in Article 26a(1). 7. Training referred to in this Article, which is under the responsibility of Member States, shall be carried out regularly. Each Member State shall take measures to support bodies and organisations responsible for such training to develop, deliver and ensure the receipt of such training as well as its quality and availability throughout the territory of that Member State.