RESPECTING CRIME VICTIMS & THEIR RIGHTS

This month we uplift Crime Victims' Rights Week (April 6 – April 12), which aims to confront and remove barriers to achieving justice for all victims or harmed parties of crime. During this week, the Office for Victims of Crime recognizes the accomplishments of the victims’ rights movement and reflects on how far we have come. This year’s theme of KINSHIP is a call to action to recognize that shared humanity should be at the center of supporting all survivors and victims of crime. (1)  

When a crime is committed, the harmed party, or victim, may not be immediately aware of the rights that they have. Every victim of a crime has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, to be heard, to restitution, to referral and to privacy.

In the traditional justice system, the approach to crime focuses on the violation of specific rules and laws rather than on the victims and their rights. CYS’ restorative justice processes create a space for the victim (person harmed) to share their experience and what they need to heal. By acknowledging the individual, the person harmed is seen as a whole person, and not just through the lens of the crime committed. This practice helps transform the way harmed parties relate to the crime and the person who caused them harm, as well as the overall experience of the justice system. Restorative justice processes uplift harmed parties by centering their needs and voice from the beginning to the end of the process.