Reporting a crime (criminal complaint)
What can I do in the event of immediate danger?
Victim and witness support departments and civil society organisations can help you when a crime is committed. Your main priority should be your own safety and the safety of people at the crime scene.
Call the police at 192 (or ask someone to do it for you).
Ask for an ambulance if necessary.
For support and additional information, you may call your nearest Victim and Witness Support Department.
Call the police at 192 (or ask someone to do it for you).
Ask for an ambulance if necessary.
For support and additional information, you may call your nearest Victim and Witness Support Department.
Where can I report a crime (file a criminal complaint)?
You can file a criminal complaint at any police station, in person, by phone (number 192), in writing, by e-mail. Police officers are obligated to receive your complaint and forward it to the police station/department competent for the territory where the crime was committed. Apart from the police, you can also file a criminal complaint with the State Attorney's Office.
How do I report a crime?
You can report a crime to the police or a state attorney's office. They will undertake measures to resolve your case as soon as possible and to prevent the perpetrator from committing further crimes.
Police
It is normal to feel unsafe or worry about what will happen after reporting a crime.
You may worry that the police will not react. You may have had a bad experience with the police in the past or you think police interference will aggravate your situation i.e. cause another assault on you.
The police encounter various types of crime on a daily basis. They are responsible for taking care of the safety of all citizens.
There are numerous reasons why you should report a crime.
Unless you report it, there will be no investigation and there is only a slim chance that the perpetrator will be caught and brought to justice. This also means that other persons may fall victim to his/her crimes.
You can significantly help resolve the case if you:
provide as much information about the crime as possible;
describe what happened and what you saw and heard;
explain that you are worried about your own and the safety of your family.
You should definitely contact the police again if you:
learn or remember further details about the crime,
find that the loss or damage suffered is greater than originally thought,
were injured during the crime, and the injuries now seem more serious than at the time,
change your address or telephone number.
The police collect information and possible evidence, which it then forwards to the state attorney’s office for further procedure.
State Attorney’s Office
The main authority and duty of a state attorney is to prosecute the perpetrators of crimes subject to ex officio prosecution.
The state attorney will undertake necessary actions to detect the crime and discover the perpetrator.
They will conduct an inquiry and decide on dismissing charges, instigating and conducting an investigation, filing an indictment, offering a plea bargain, and proposing and presenting evidence in a hearing.
The investigation includes interrogation of victims and witnesses for the purpose of evidence collection.
Police
It is normal to feel unsafe or worry about what will happen after reporting a crime.
You may worry that the police will not react. You may have had a bad experience with the police in the past or you think police interference will aggravate your situation i.e. cause another assault on you.
The police encounter various types of crime on a daily basis. They are responsible for taking care of the safety of all citizens.
There are numerous reasons why you should report a crime.
Unless you report it, there will be no investigation and there is only a slim chance that the perpetrator will be caught and brought to justice. This also means that other persons may fall victim to his/her crimes.
You can significantly help resolve the case if you:
provide as much information about the crime as possible;
describe what happened and what you saw and heard;
explain that you are worried about your own and the safety of your family.
You should definitely contact the police again if you:
learn or remember further details about the crime,
find that the loss or damage suffered is greater than originally thought,
were injured during the crime, and the injuries now seem more serious than at the time,
change your address or telephone number.
The police collect information and possible evidence, which it then forwards to the state attorney’s office for further procedure.
State Attorney’s Office
The main authority and duty of a state attorney is to prosecute the perpetrators of crimes subject to ex officio prosecution.
The state attorney will undertake necessary actions to detect the crime and discover the perpetrator.
They will conduct an inquiry and decide on dismissing charges, instigating and conducting an investigation, filing an indictment, offering a plea bargain, and proposing and presenting evidence in a hearing.
The investigation includes interrogation of victims and witnesses for the purpose of evidence collection.
Can I report a crime even though I have no evidence?
You are not required to provide evidence to report a crime. Upon your complaint, the police and the state attorney's office are obliged to do everything possible to find the perpetrator, establish the relevant facts and secure evidence important for the criminal proceedings. You can help them do this by giving them as much information as possible about what happened to you, what you saw and heard, and explain your concerns about your safety or the safety of your family. If you subsequently think of anything else or any changes occur in the meantime, let the police know, even if that additional information seems less important to you at the time.
Can someone accompany me when filing a criminal complaint?
A person you trust may be with you while you file a criminal complaint. For example, it can be a family member, a friend, a representative of a civil society organization or other person of your choice. This person cannot participate in the process, but can be present and support you. When choosing a trusted person, it is important to know that it cannot be a person who can later be a witness or have another role in the proceedings, as they will not be allowed to be with you to support you.
How can a criminal complaint be filed by persons who do not speak or understand the Croatian language?
If a person does not speak or understand the language of the authority to which they are filing a criminal complaint, they are entitled to the assistance of an interpreter or other person who can help them. In such a case, the person has the right to have the confirmation of a received criminal complaint translated free of charge into a language they understand.
Can I get a confirmation that I reported a crime?
At your request, the police and the state attorney's office are required to give you a written confirmation that you have reported a crime.
Can I get information from the police on the status of the criminal complaint?
Yes, you can. The police are obliged to inform you about the course of the investigation, and if your criminal complaint has been submitted to the competent state attorney's office, the police may refer you to the contact person for further information on the measures taken by the state attorney.
Who can I contact if I feel that the police are not taking all the necessary steps regarding my criminal complaint?
In case you are not satisfied with the work of the police and, for example, you think that more should have been done regarding your complaint, you believe that police officers have not done anything, or you think they are unnecessarily delaying action, it is your right to ask them about the current stage of the process and to request an explanation. If you are not satisfied with their answer, you can write to the head of the police department, and if you are not satisfied with his/her answer, you can file a written reasoned objection to the answer to the Internal Control Division in the Cabinet of the Minister of the Interior. This Division is obliged to respond to you within 30 days.
How soon after filing a complaint can I contact the state attorney and get information about the actions taken?
You can request notification of the actions taken from the state attorney after the expiry of two months from the filing of the criminal complaint. If the state attorney has not informed you of the action taken, which they are obliged to do within thirty days of receiving the request, or if you are not satisfied with the notification or the action taken, you may file a complaint with a higher-ranking state attorney.
What options does the victim have if the state attorney drops or dismisses charges?
The state attorney is obliged to inform the victim about such a decision. In this case, the victim can take over the prosecution. By taking over the criminal prosecution, the victim also assumes the role of the injured party, that is, taking over the prosecution automatically means that you apply for participation in criminal proceedings in the capacity of the injured party. Taking over the prosecution imposes obligations on the victim in terms of time, because the injured party who took over the prosecution must present evidence and represent the prosecution in court, as well as obligations in terms of financial resources, because the injured party who took over the prosecution must bear the costs of the proceedings.
Can I withdraw a criminal complaint?
You can always declare that you are withdrawing your complaint. However, if the criminal offence you reported is subject to ex officio prosecution , the police and the State Attorney's Office will take action even without your participation to find the perpetrator, secure evidence and establish the perpetrator's guilt, and to have them asdequately punished.
Who decides whether a case of domestic violence should be treated as a misdemeanour or a criminal offence?
The decision on whether a perpetrator of domestic violence will be reported for a misdemeanour or a criminal offence is made by the police based on the established facts if the event is reported to the police. If the police report domestic violence as a criminal offence, it is up to the state attorney to decide whether it is a criminal offence or a misdemeanour. If the state attorney decides it is a misdemeanour, they will propose an indictment to the misdemeanour court, and are obliged to inform you thereof.