NCJ Number
155954
Journal
Justice Report Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: (1995) Pages: 13-15
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Victims should be involved in the court process to counter the view that the criminal justice system shows more concern for offenders than it does for victims.
Abstract
The criminal justice system has been insensitive to the harm inflicted on victims and to their rights. This insensitivity is compounded by enormous media pressures. On occasion, voyeurism leads reporters to extensively question victims and their families, thus exposing the private lives of innocent people to an unhealthy public curiosity. In short, being a victim means more than being burglarized, assaulted, or raped; it often involves exposure to loathing, skeptical, and even accusing comments. Victims should not, however, be involved in dictating what punishment the offender deserves, since the criminal justice system cannot be based on vengeance. The most significant goal of the criminal justice system should continue to be to place society between the victim and the offender.