NCJ Number
145237
Date Published
1991
Length
356 pages
Annotation
Unlike previous German research, this survey of 203 crime victims in the German city of Hanau focuses entirely on the feelings and expectations of crime victims.
Abstract
The written responses to the two questionnaires indicate that the majority of victims showed less interest in the punishment of the offender than in their own mental recovery or in recovery of material losses. Especially, victims of property offenses were eager to work with the offender to recover their losses. However, many victims of violent crimes refused material compensation or any contact with the offender because they did not want to relive their traumatic experience. They were more interested in receiving help to overcome the physical and psychological damage they had suffered. Yet, though they welcomed the assistance of professional counseling services, they wanted to decide on their own what kind of support they needed. Overall, the victims were satisfied by the police treatment they had received, but they had little faith that the German criminal justice system could really address their problems. Primarily, they wanted the system to protect society from similar future offenses. The questionnaires and a detailed bibliography are appended.