Proposals from the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office forVictim Assistance

Abstract

Act No 27372 created structures for victim assistance in thefederal criminal procedure outside the Public Prosecutor’s Office. In view of this fact, it is relevant to askwhether the legislative changes designed havetaken into account that the victim, in the cri-minal justice system, must find institutionalresponse in the Public Prosecutor’s Office.This paper approaches the reasons why thedesign proposed by the legislator did notconsider this circumstance, which could resultin different problems of institutional legitimacyin the accusatorial criminal procedure that willsoon be implemented in the federal justicesystem. Finally, given the fact that prosecutors need topay special attention to victims’ problems as away of legitimizing their actions before asociety that demands efficiency in criminalprosecution, the creation of an office isproposed which should be within the scope ofthe general prosecutors’ offices, speciallyfocusing on diffuse victims.