APERS

A.P.E.R.S is a 1901 law association agreed with the Ministry of Justice and authorized by the judicial courts of Aix en Provence and Tarascon. It is developing geographically across the entire extent of these two jurisdictions for the victim support service and within the jurisdiction of the Aix-en-Provence TJ for the judicial activity service. The association is responsible for caring for victims in 97 municipalities that make up the 119 municipalities of Bouches-du-Rhône, or approximately more than 900,000 inhabitants. It began operating exclusively with volunteers for the execution of judicial mandates (judicial checks and personality investigations). The necessary professionalization of the workers subsequently led it to hire socio-judicial workers, social workers, victim receptionists and clinical psychologists. In 1991, the victim support service and the criminal mediation service were created. The A.P.E.R.S is authorized by the Ministry of Justice and operates within the jurisdiction of the judicial courts of Aix en Provence (since 1980) and Tarascon (since 1997). Helping victims is today one of the priorities of judicial policies. These now give victims a set of rights. The A.P.E.R.S victim assistance service supports all victims of criminal offenses, natural disasters, collective accidents or attacks and all victims of particularly traumatic violent situations.