After the police report

Once you have filed a police report, a police officer or a prosecutor will make an assessment of whether there is reason to believe that a crime has been committed. If so, they begin a police investigation that is called a preliminary investigation.

You can take a support person with you to the police. This may be a person you know or somebody from the social services, a support person for victims of crime or a women’s refuge. For some crimes, you can also receive a legal counsel, called counsel for an injured party which you do not need to pay for. If you want counsel for an injured party, you must tell it the prosecutor or police officer responsible for the preliminary investigation.

If your preliminary investigation is discontinued

Sometimes, the police or prosecutor decides to discontinue the preliminary investigation. This may happen, for example, if it turns out that no criminal action was involved or if no suspect can be identified. Another reason may be that there are no traces to follow.

If a preliminary investigation is continued, you usually receive information about it. If you are dissatisfied with the decision, you can request a review of the decision.

The police or prosecutor can take up a discontinued preliminary investigation if new circumstances or new evidence comes forth.

Even if a police investigation has been discontinued, you may have a possibility to receive compensation for the damages caused by the crime.

If you are summoned to trial

After a police investigation, a prosecutor decides if the evidence is enough for the person suspected of the crime to get convicted. If the evidence is enough, the prosecutor files charges. The charges are then reviewed at a meeting in court called a trial or main hearing. When the trial is concluded, the court makes a ruling in the case.

You can take a support person with you to court. This may be a person you know or somebody from the social services, a support person for victims of crime or a women’s refuge. For some crimes, you may also have an opportunity to have counsel for an injured party who is with you during the trial.

At the court, there is also witness support that you can talk to if you have questions about how the trial is done. Witness support can take you to a separate witness support room if you want to sit separately and wait.

Get in touch

You can contact these authorities if you have questions about what happens after a police report.

114 14 – Swedish Police

The Police’s non-emergency contact number is 114 14. You can call this number if you want to talk to the police, ask a question or report a crime. You can also report a crime by visiting a police station in person. You can find your nearest police station on the police authority website.

114 14

The Swedish Police website

Swedish Prosecution Authority

A prosecutor often leads the preliminary investigation. The prosecutor will start a prosecution if there is sufficient evidence for a court of law.

010-562 50 00

The Swedish Prosecution Authority website

You can get help and support

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Information about compensation

If you have been the victim of a crime, you may be entitled to compensation. There are three different kinds of compensation.