A criminal prosecution has been started against me

• Do not panic or take rash steps "to fix it".
• Do not testify without defence counsel — you have the right to remain silent.
• Do not contact witnesses or co-defendants about the case.
• Do not post anything about the case on social media or to the press without advice.

• The date and file number of the decision to start the prosecution.
• How the act is described and what legal classification is stated.
• Any deadlines that appear (e.g. for a complaint) and when they start.
• Who the investigator and supervising prosecutor are.

• You have the right to defence counsel; in some cases defence is mandatory.
• You have the right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself.
• You have the right to inspect the file and propose evidence.
• You have the right to an interpreter and to be treated as innocent.

Secure defence counsel as soon as possible and give them the decision to prosecute. A timely complaint and well-run defence from the start matter greatly.