The victims the law forgot?

WHEN a crime is committed, justice may be meted out with the offender being fined, jailed or both. But victims of crime are often left confused and traumatised by the experience in addition to having suffered physical and emotional harm or loss to property.

The criminal justice system has been focused on apprehending and securing convictions against those who were thought to pose a threat to society. This has led to victims of the crime — the ones who had been truly harmed by the offender — being virtually ignored by the process meant to support and protect them.

The victims of crime should be given adequate information about "their" case, such as the progress of investigation, prosecution, conviction and sentence of the offender.

The greater attention given to victims of crime is a result of a realisation by governments around the world of their obligation to protect individuals from harm — and where this is not possible, to render adequate support for them to get on with their lives.

Dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system by victims of crime may be a factor leading to failure to report offences, which means that society as a whole will suffer if the offender is free to commit other offences.