Best practice recommendations for supporting victims of terrorism

This chapter shows the policy recommendations for addressing the needs of victims of terrorism. Compensation and financial support provides an integrated, uniform and effective level of compensation to all victims of terrorist attacks, regardless of their nationality, employment status, and the location of the attack, the identity of the perpetrator or the qualities of the victim. Medical and psychological assistance recognises that individual victims are primarily victims of trauma and need to be initially treated as such and to recognise the lifelong and irreversible changes that occur as a result of victimisation by terrorism. While exceptional treatment of the victims of terrorism may be advocated in some contexts, given that terrorist attacks are viewed as a serious violation of human rights, this exceptional treatment must be victim-orientated and related to the specific needs of victims of terrorism emerging from the political nature of the violence. Victims must have a voice in any debates around needs and service provision.