Victims of crime: compensation from the Victims Guarantee Fund

Verified 26 January 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

You're a victim of a infringement who hurt you? You are the legal representative of a victim of a infringement or theentitled of a person who has died as a result of an offense?

You can request compensation from the Victims Guarantee Fund (FGTI) through the Commission for Compensation of Victims of Crime (Civi).

Warning  

FGTI doesn't intervene if you're a victim of terrorism, road traffic accident report, hunting accident or asbestos-related disease.

Infringement in France

You can be compensated by the guarantee fund if you are the victim of a infringement.

You can also receive compensation if you are a close relative of a victim of an offense and you have personal injury due to that offense.

This is the case, for example, if your spouse is hospitalized and your household loses income.

Offense abroad

You are concerned if you are French and a direct victim of an offense.

You can also seek redress if you are close to a victim and have personally suffered personal harm as a result of the crime. This is the case, for example, if your spouse is hospitalized and your household loses income.

The Victims Guarantee Fund can compensate you for offenses that have resulted in personal injury (bodily injury) or property damage (property damage).

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Injury to person

Severe impairment

You can be compensated if you have been a direct or indirect victim:

  • Of an act which led to death
  • An act which has led to permanent incapacity
  • An event which resulted in a total incapacity for work of at least one month
  • Rape, sexual assault or sexual assault of a minor
  • Trafficking in human beings
  • Violence resulting in total incapacity for work more than 8 days committed on a minor or by the spouse, former spouse, common-law partner, former common-law partner, past partner or former past partner

In these cases, there is no cap on the amount of compensation and no means test is required.

Mild body damage

In the case of slight bodily injury, all of the following conditions must be met:

  • You are a direct or indirect victim of bodily injury resulting in a total incapacity for work of less than 1 month
  • The offense has caused serious problems in your life (for example, inability to lead a normal family life)
  • You cannot get compensation for your damage from other organizations

The amount of compensation shall not exceed €4,767.

Attach the following supporting documents to your application:

  • Copy of the return of your income for the year before the offense and the year before the commission is seized
  • Certificate of non-taxation, if you are not taxable
  • List of your properties

To be eligible for compensation, your resources must not exceed the following limits:

Tableau - Resource ceilings

Dependants

Maximum annual resources

None

€19,066

1

€21,354

2

€23,643

3

€25,088

4

€26,533

5

€27,979

6

€29,424

FYI  

If you cannot be compensated by the Civi, you can request a recovery aid to the recovery service for victims of crime (Sarvi).

Material damage

General case

Compensation is limited to €4,767.

To be eligible for compensation, you must meet all of the following conditions:

  • You have suffered directly or indirectly one of the following offenses: theft, fraud, breach of trust, extortion, damage, destruction or damage to one of your assets (excluding arson), blackmail, abuse of weakness or breach of automated data processing systems
  • You cannot obtain effective and adequate compensation for your damage from other bodies
  • You are in a serious material or psychological situation (lack of money, moral distress...)

Attach the following supporting documents to your application:

  • Copy of the return of your income for the year before the offense and the year before the commission is seized
  • Certificate of non-taxation, if you are not taxable
  • List of your properties

To be eligible for compensation, your income must not exceed the following limits:

Tableau - Resource ceilings

Dependants

Maximum annual resources

None

€19,066

1

€21,354

2

€23,643

3

€25,088

4

€26,533

5

€27,979

6

€29,424

FYI  

if you cannot be compensated by the Civi, you can recovery aid to the Service for Recovery of Victims of Crime (Sarvi).

Arson of a vehicle

In the event of destruction of the vehicle by arson, compensation shall not exceed €4,767.

To be eligible for compensation, you must meet all of the following conditions:

  • No compensation for your damage by another organization
  • Carte grise Vehicle burned in good standing:
  • Infringement committed in France

Attach the following supporting documents to your application:

  • Copy of the return of your income for the year before the offense and the year before the commission is seized
  • Certificate of non-taxation, if you are not taxable
  • List of your properties

To be eligible for compensation, your income must not exceed the following limits:

Tableau - Resource ceilings

Dependants

Maximum annual resources

None

€28,599

1

€32,031

2

€35,465

3

€37,632

4

€39,800

5

€41,969

6

€44,136

FYI  

if you cannot be compensated by the Civi, you can request a recovery aid to the recovery service for victims of crime (Sarvi).

To obtain your compensation, you must apply to the Civi within a certain period of time:

  • 3 years from the date of the offense, if there has not yet been a trial
  • If there has already been a trial, 1 year from final decision handed down by a criminal court

However, the Civi may exceptionally accept a request made out of time for a legitimate reason.

This is the case if you were unable to claim your rights on time or if you suffered an aggravation of your prejudice.

The claim for compensation must be made by a natural person.

Indeed, Civi is not competent to examine claims for compensation made by legal persons (businesses, municipalities, etc.).

Filing of the application with Civi

You must complete a cerfa form:

Claim for compensation from the Commission for Compensation of Victims of Crime (Civi)

The request must be sent, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, to the Civi Registry. It must be accompanied by supporting documents (invoices, medical certificates, etc.).

The competent Civi is that of your domicile or the place of the criminal court seized of the offense or which has already been seized of the same offense by another victim.

If you are a French resident abroad and the facts took place abroad, the competent Civi is that of the court of justice of Paris.

Victims’ associations can inform you free of charge about the steps to be taken and accompany you during the legal proceedings.

You can contact the associations of the France Victims network.

Who shall I contact

The request may also be made by a lawyer, whose fees may be paid by legal aid.

Possibility to request a reserve

If the file is complete and your right to compensation is not disputed, the FGTI will pay you a provision within one month of the transmission of the file by the Civi.

If the file is not complete or if your right to compensation is challenged by the FGTI, you can request an advance on the compensation from the President of Civi.

The request must be sent, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, to the Civi Registry. It must be accompanied by supporting documents (invoices, medical certificates, etc.).

The competent Civi is that of your domicile or the place of the criminal court seized of the offense or which has already been seized of the same offense by another victim.

Who shall I contact

The President of the Civi must give a decision within one month of the request

Offer of compensation

The application is processed by the FGTI.

He has 2 months from the receipt of your request to make an offer of compensation.

He has to meet that deadline.

This offer must indicate the amount of compensation offered.

You then have 2 months to accept or reject the offer.

Response to offer of compensation

You accept the offer

If you accept the offer, it becomes a statement of agreement.

The statement of agreement shall be sent for approval to the president of Civi.

If the President of the Civi proceeds with the approval, the statement of agreement shall acquire the enforceability.

The registration decision is yours notified at the same time as the FGTI.

The FGTI must then pay you the compensation within 1 month of the notification of the registration decision.

You're turning down the offer

You can ask the president of Civi for a new offer. He is free to refuse without justification.

If you do not receive a new offer or if you refuse the offer(s) proposed, the mutual agreement phase ends.

Warning  

your silence for two months is tantamount to refusal.

Decision of the Civi

The investigation of the case is continuing before the Civi.

It is recommended that you provide full information to Civi, attend the hearing or be represented by your lawyer.

The Civi issues a new decision, which has the enforceability.

The new decision of the Civi is notified to you at the same time as the FGTI.

The FGTI must pay you the compensation within 1 month after the notification of the new decision of the Civi, unless you challenge that decision.

You can indeed appeal against the new decision of Civi if it is not convenient for you.

Appeals

You may appeal the decision of the Civi before the court of appeal within 1 month (from the notification of the decision).

Who shall I contact

FYI  

the FTGI may appeal under the same conditions if it challenges the compensation granted by the Civi.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • 116 006 - Victim Assistance Number

    Listen, inform and advise victims of crime and their families.

    By telephone

    116,006

    Free call

    Open 7 days a week from 9am to 7pm

    The service can also be accessed by calling the +33 (0)1 80 52 33 76 (Normal pricing number).

    By email

    victimes@france-victimes.fr