Crime victims: sometimes services have to be customized

The context

• A citizen who had been assaulted contacted the Direction générale de l’indemnisation des victimes d’actes criminels (DGIVAC). She wanted to see a psychologist. Her request was approved.
• The lady began counselling sessions so her condition could be assessed first.
• An assessment report was sent to DGIVAC indicating that the sessions had to be held by phone due to the citizen’s physical condition (a serious illness that made it very complicated for her to move around.) She had a lot of trouble getting to her appointments.
• DGIVAC refused because phone counselling was not covered by the compensation system.

The complaint

• The citizen felt that she really needed these services. However, given her condition, she considered that she should not have to leave her home to go to her appointments with the psychologist. 
• She complained to the Protecteur du citoyen.

What the investigation showed

• DGIVAC’s medical office had recommended that the woman receive counselling by phone. Despite this, DGIVAC stood its ground, saying that it did not authorize this practice for confidentiality reasons.
• As a result, in nearly two years, she only had access to 12 of the 52 sessions she was entitled to.
• As the Protecteur du citoyen saw it, DGIVAC had been rigid. The agency should have considered the citizen’s situation and the severity of her condition.
• Concerning confidentiality, the Protecteur du citoyen felt that the decision was up to the woman. If she felt comfortable conveying personal information by phone, DGIVAC had no right preventing her from doing so.

The outcome

At the Protecteur du citoyen’s request, DGIVAC made an exception for the woman and authorized reimbursement for the phone counselling sessions.

This case was taken from our 2020-2021 Annual Report.