Search results for category: Victim SupportThe main demands of CSAAAW are: survivors should be provided all required medical facilities, including first aid and long-term surgical treatment; cases should be booked under Sections 320 and 326 of the Indian Penal Code instead of other sections so that the case is not dismissed lightly as an incident of harm caused by using "dangerous substances"; the sale and use of concentrated acids should be strictly regulated; and the State Government should provide rehabilitation to the survivors in case they are unable to do so themselves.
"Recognizing volunteerism for victims is an important moment for victims' rights. I am pleased to recognize and offer our thanks to these exemplary volunteers and professionals, who provide high quality and innovative services to victims of crime every day, and to recognize individuals who have demonstrated tremendous courage in overcoming personal obstacles to raise the profile of victims' issues," said Bryant. "These awards are offered as a tribute to their dedication, creativity, motivation and strength."
Without compassion and forgiveness, justice becomes vengeance; without compassion and justice, forgiveness never has a chance to begin; without forgiveness and justice, compassion perpetuates the harms it seeks to end. Without any one of the three, there is no hope for a better world. But all of this presupposes justice. All of it presupposes that the harm has come to an end, that the victim is in a free space within which to consider her next actions. If she is not, if she is still being harmed or still in imminent danger of being harmed, there is no sense of talking about either forgiveness or compassion.
The end point of justice is not punishment. It is restoration. Were Cho alive, I would pray for his repentance, I would pray for his turning to Christ, I would pray for his soul. I would pray that the hands that killed would somehow be transformed into hands that bring blessing. But Cho is gone. Our creeds tell us, Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead. We do not know the day or the hour, but Cho’s judgment date (along with ours) is set.
For the most part, Guam's victim advocates are a dedicated bunch of professionals who do a fine job supporting and educating victims. I wish to share, however, one area in which our services to victims can be vastly improved. Victims should be routinely notified about the availability of restorative justice services. Such notification should occur in a respectful atmosphere; adequately inform said victims of the pros and cons of electing to participate in an "RJ" process, such as victim-offender mediation or an RJ group conference.
Several people have suggested the case might lend itself well to a restorative justice approach. Restorative justice uses trained mediators to bring offenders and victims together to talk about how the offender’s actions affected others. The process lets victims and offenders see each other as individuals, supporters say, and often brings healing and understanding to situations that could otherwise stay mired in anger.
D, who plead guilty under an appeal waiver agreement, to infringing a Microsoft copyright, appealed the $322,000 restitution order, on ground that Microsoft suffered no loss. (D sold multiple counterfeit programs to one buyer, well below retail price, who detected the fraud, refused to pay, and contacted Microsoft. The buyer was not out of pocket, and Microsoft never lost a product nor was there proof of loss of sales. Loss was calculated as the same number of copies of the real deal at retail price).
Referred to as the "support hub" or "crisis central," the Office of Victims Assistance Ministry also works with the archdiocesan Department of Catholic Schools, the Vicar for Clergy, the Vicar for Women Religious as well as the Office of Safeguard the Children, the Office of Legal Counsel and the Office of Restorative Justice. The coordinated effort is aimed at proactively helping victims and communities to heal, holding perpetrators accountable for their actions, and preventing further abuse, said Sister McNiff.
St. Croix Valley Restorative Justice Program Director Kris Miner said most cultures use some kind of circle. Knights of the Round Table sat in a circle, tribal councils of fire form circles, some American Indians get in circles to chant or dance. Many cultures exchange symbolic circular wedding rings, most people create social circles and mathematicians study circles for geometric values. And the list goes on.
This study examined the circumstances in which victims feel that they are treated fairly. The findings show victims desire more than the ability to make demands. Most victims in the sample said that they had been able to make demands, but what mattered most was that they felt they were heard and were not hindered in making demands. The findings seem to support the point of view, which is commonly found in the victimological literature, that victims seek recognition by expressing their point of view and having their point of view taken into consideration (Kilchling, 1995; Shapland, et al., 1985; Wemmers, 1996). The findings suggest that voice is not just about expressing one’s needs but also, and perhaps more importantly, about being heard.
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