NCJ Number
95932
Journal
Angolite Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: (July/August 1984) Pages: 25-33
Editor(s)
W Rideau,
B Sinclair
Date Published
1984
Length
19 pages
Annotation
The murder and mutilation of Faith Hathaway is described, and the response of police, prosecutors, and judges to her parents and to other murder survivors is reported.
Abstract
After Faith's death, her parents were comforted by friends and relatives, but too soon left alone. They found support in a self-help organization, Parents of Murdered Children (POMC), which provided them with information about the grieving process and the criminal justice system, as well as support through contact with other bereaved persons and with professionals in the helping fields. Faith's parents, like other victims of crime, contend that the criminal justice system is geared to respond to the needs and rights of the offender, not the victim. Thus, while victims suffer from grief-related physical and mental ailments and force themselves to deal with a sudden lack of interest in their work, they must also deal with a criminal justice system that is too often insensitive to and uncaring about their legitimate interests and needs. However, as a result of efforts by POMC and other organizations, judges from all 50 States met at the National Judicial College to draft recommendations for how courts can help victims of violent crimes. Faith's parents, like other victims, want their daughter's killer to be executed. Certainly, the justice system should protect society from vigilantism; it can do this by recognizing victims' rights, interests, and needs. Three illustrations are included.