Counselling service
Bily kruh bezpeci (BKB) – provides free of charge, expert and discrete services to the victims and witnesses of crimes. Services are provided in seven counselling centres where work voluntarily lawyers, psychologists and social workers. The counsellors provide especially legal information, practical advice and psychological support. In extremely serious cases they accompany the victim to court, visit the injured victim in hospital and mediate further needed services.
All the counsellors take special four-step training of Bily kruh bezpeci.
BKB offers to the victims of crimes following:
- Time to talk
- Legal information
- Meeting a psychologist
- Practical advice and help
- Moral and emotional support
- Self-consciousness comeback
- Advice how to get damages and financial compensation from the state
In nine counselling centres in Prague, Brno, České Budějovice, Jihlava, Liberec, Olomouc, Ostrava, Pilsen and Pardubice victims are provided services which contribute to quick overcoming the consequences of crime and which strengthen their position when dealing with authorities. The counsellors of BKB help victims to recover from stress evoked by crime, they provide practical advice and useful information about criminal proceedings. Often they offer contacting follow up services. Victims get information about the services of BKB most often in media, publications of BKB, from the police, on help lines, in crises centres and from authorities.
“Why me?” is a common question of victims of crimes, it leads to the feelings of sorrow, self-accusation and loneliness. Loss of concentration is an unomittable psychic reaction to serious crimes; worsened ability of perception and bad interpretation of information and loss of the illusion of a safe world follow it. Every single victim is unrepeatable in his or her experience of trauma.
Next to the network of counselling centres BKB also runs:
- non-stop BKB Helpline for victims of crime - phone No. +420 257 317 110
- non-stop DONA Helpline for victims of domestic violence - phone No. +420 2 51 51 13 13, www.donalinka.cz
- Intervention centre BKB in Ostrava - a counselling centre for victims of domestic violence in regions of Nový Jičín, Opava, Ostrava - phone No. 597 489 207.
Opinions of clients of BKB
“When I walk in the street, I can still see the man who attacked me.”
“I was afraid to witness at court. It really meant a lot for me that the people from Bily kruh bezpeci took my concerns seriously.”
“After talking to the psychologist of Bily kruh bezpeci I felt relieved and could not but cry from emotion. I realized that I would not be let alone in my despair.”
“Lawyer of Bily kruh bezpeci gave me a good and patient advice. What I appreciate the most is that he let me – an old man – speak without interruption. Unfortunately I have not experienced this in any of previous institutions where I dealt with my unpleasant matter.”
“After consulting Bily kruh bezpeci I could give advice and help to my sister who was raped abroad. This was very important for both of us.”
“They came to our house after our closest were murdered. Their support and help was tactful and highly professional. We do not know how we would manage without them."
Opinion of a counsellor of BKB
“If at this time typical with increased criminality, low legal consciousness, low enforcement of law and mainly – weak status of victims of crimes, someone can help to someone who find himself in a very difficult situation and does not do it even though they have the possibility, I am sure they live in a certain way in vain. A fleeting smile at the face of someone who is leaving the counselling room as an expression of thanks is enough for me even though it should be just one in a year.”
JUDr. Jan Mejzlík