Bakgrund: Brottsmedling i brottsmål som involverar unga lagöverträdare är en viktig del av rättsväsendet och av socialt arbete. Medlingen, som är en del av filosofin reparativ rättvisa ämnar vara till nytta för både gärningsman och offer. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka vilka huvudteman som går att identifiera i tidigare forskning inom ämnet. Metod: En scoping review version litteraturstudie med tematisk analys användes som metod för att svara på syftet. Sökningar utfördes i databasen Primo. Tio studier valdes ut. De valda artiklarna kvalitetsgranskades och analyserades enligt teman. Resultat: Intresset bland brottsoffer för att delta i medling är stort och medlingen kan vara en mycket viktig del i offrets rehabiliteringsprocess. Många brottsoffer har positiva upplevelser av medlingsförfarandet och dess effekter, men upplever även besvikelse på processen och dess resultat är vanligt förekommande hos deltagande brottsoffer. Att få en ursäkt av sin gärningsman är för merparten av brottsoffren som deltar i medling mycket viktigt. Ursäkten är även viktig för gärningsmannen och förhoppningar om förlåtelse från sitt offer är vanligt bland gärningsmännen. Förlåtelse är tillsammans med andra aspekter påverkande på huruvida medlingsprocessen skapar minskad på återfallsförbrytelse för dessa gärningsmän. Medlaren har en mycket viktig roll i medlingsprocessen och påverkar alla aspekter av hur den fortskrider samt vad den resulterar i. Slutsats: Medlingsprocessen är viktig för de individer som erbjuds att delta och har potential att påverka ett brottsoffers rehabilitering samt en gärningsmans framtida sociala beteende och kriminella bana. / Background: Victim offender mediation in criminal cases involving youth offenders is an important part of the judiciary and of social work. Mediation, which is part of the philosophy of reparative justice, intends to benefit both the perpetrator and the victim. It also strives to promote recidivism and prosocial behavior of the perpetrator. Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate which main themes can be identified in previous research on the subject. Method: A scoping review approach of literature study with applied thematic analysis was used as a method to answer the purpose. Searches were performed in the database Primo. Ten studies were selected. The selected articles were quality reviewed and analyzed according to the themes. Result: The interest among crime victims in participating in mediation is large and mediation can be a very important part of the victim's rehabilitation process. Many victims have positive experiences of the mediation process and its effects, but also experience of disappointment in the process and its results are common among the victims. Receiving an apology from your perpetrator is very important for most victims who participate in mediation. The apology is also important to the perpetrator and hope of forgiveness from one’s victim is common among the perpetrators. Forgiveness, together with other aspects, affects whether the mediation process creates a reduction in recidivism for these perpetrators. The mediator has a very important role in the mediation process and affects all aspects of how it progresses and what it results in. Conclusion: The mediation process is important for the individuals who participate and has the potential to influence a victim's rehabilitation and a perpetrator's future social behavior and criminal path.

The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a program being run by the Bedford Police Department’s Repeat Victimization Unit on domestic violence and mental health and mental retardation. The study sought to determine whether the program was effective in reducing instances of repeat victimization in domestic violence and MHMR victims. Additionally the program investigated whether or not the program was effective at reducing victimization severity, and which demographic could be identified as the most victimized. Participants consisted of 157 domestic violence and MHMR victims in the city of Bedford, Tx between November 11, 2012 to July 30, 2013. Findings indicate that levels of repeat victimization for domestic violence and MHMR are relatively low regardless of whether the victim received services through the repeat victimization program or not. Additionally the severity of these repeat victimizations remains relatively constant regardless of whether services were received through the program or not. Implications and findings are discussed.

<p>Syftet med denna uppsats är att utforska socialtjänstens arbete med brottsoffer i Sverige enligt 5 kapitlet 11 § i socialtjänstlagen. I studien undersöktes hur socialsekreterare definierar brottsoffer samt hur de bedömer och prioriterar offrens behov. Det har också varit centralt att studera hur socialsekreterare tolkar och förstår regleringen av socialtjänstens ansvar för brottsoffer. Kvalitativa intervjuer med 18 socialarbetare är grunden för studien. Analysen av socialtjänstens arbete med brottsoffer baseras på ovan nämnda intervjuer. Intervjuerna analyseras med hjälp av rättssociologiska teorier. För att illustrera hur socialsekreterare definierar brottsoffer har teorier om brottsoffer använts i analysen. Studien visar att ett brottsoffer måste vara oskyldig, svag och lida av brottet för att personen skall definieras som brottsoffer av socialsekreterarna. Socialsekreterarna har dock olika prioriteringar. Vissa socialsekreterare baserar sin bedömning efter varje enskilt fall, medan andra socialsekreterare anser att det är specifika målgrupper som ska få hjälp av socialtjänsten. Undersökningen visar också att de brottsoffergrupper som främst får hjälp inom socialtjänsten kvinnor och barn som fallit offer för våld i nära relationer. Stöd till brottsoffer som ges genom socialtjänstens arbete är ofta i syfte för att anpassa de kvinnor och barn som utsätts för våld, såsom kvinnojourer, rådgivning och ekonomiskt stöd.</p> / <p>The purpose of this essay is to explore the social services work with crime victims in Sweden, according to Chapter 5, § 11 of the Social Services Act. The study examined how social workers define the victim and assessing and prioritizing victims' needs. It has also been central to study how social workers interpret and understand the regulation of social services responsible for crime victims. Qualitative interviews with 18 social workers is the basis for the study. The analysis of the social services work with victims based in the above-mentioned interviews. The interviews analyzed using the sociology of law theory. To illustrate how social workers define victims of crime have theories of crime victims been used in the analysis.</p><p>The study shows that a crime victim must be innocent, weak and suffering from the crime to be defined as crime victims by social secretaries. Social workers do, however, different priorities. Some are based on an assessment of each individual victims need help, while others believe that the specific target groups will be using social services. The study also indicates that the groups which mainly receive help in the social services are victims of violence women and children. Assistance to victims in the social services designed to adapt the groups exposed to violence against women and children, such as women’s shelters, counseling and financial help.</p>

This Master thesis deals with the subject of aid to women who are victims of Intimate Partner Violence, in the context of the recently passed Victims of Crime Act. The aim of the theoretical part is to describe the basic specifics of intimate partner violence and problems that arise from these specifics for the victims and for the practice of organizations and individuals helping the victims. In the subsequent part the options of aid to and protection of the victims within the criminal proceeding are discussed. The last chapter of the theoretical part covers the legislation context of giving aid to victims, with a special emphasis on the Victims of Crime Act and its possible contribution to solve problems related to this. The empirical part consists of an analysis of qualitative interviews and questionnaires with experts with at least five years of practice in aiding victims of intimate partner violence. The objective of the practical part is to deliver recommendations how to activate victims. The research aims to verify whether the problems of activation of the victims described in both domestic and foreign literature correspond to the practice of experts, what strategies have proved successful in reaction to those problems and in the end to what extent the law on victims can help in this...

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of perceptions crime victims have of the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. This project focused on crime victims' perceptions of communication channels and service delivery at the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. This research is based on a victim survey used for primary data collection.

The South African Constitution, with its Bill of Rights, represents a decisive break with the past and a great advance by South Africans in reclaiming their human dignity and fundamental freedoms. Before 1993 punishment of crime was defined by the social order which had been designed under the apartheid government; prisoners were generally subjected to cruel and degrading treatment while criminal suspects could be detained indefinitely and without trial. The penal system was to some extent directed at controlling and regulating the conduct of Blacks. The constitutional dispensation has resulted in a re-look at our penal policy and has placed great emphasis on the rights of prisoners. These rights flow from the rights to equality, dignity and liberty. The Constitution has entrenched certain rights of criminal suspects, including the right to a fair trial. Legislation has been introduced to ensure compliance with the constitutional imperatives. The new dispensation has given rise to debate on many issues, and facilitated a rise of a victims’ movement seeking to promote victim interests. This movement has noted that offenders and alleged offenders enjoy a series of constitutional rights, and that corresponding rights for crime victims need to be introduced. Victims are unlikely to be accorded rights in the literal sense of the word; nevertheless, they need to be accommodated within the criminal justice system. This need has given birth to a charter for crime victims, a document that seeks to empower crime victims. The perception remains, however, that offenders and crime suspects still enjoy too much protection, to the detriment of victim interests. The development of victim rights is hampered by the adversarial nature of the country’s criminal justice system and the perception that victims have no role to play within the criminal process, other than as witnesses. The purpose of the thesis is to analyse the extent to which our Bill of Rights strikes a balance between the interests of alleged offenders and offenders on the one hand, and crime victims on the other. It also seeks to create awareness about the plight of crime victims and to make suggestions on possible solutions. / Criminal & Procedural Law / LLD (Criminal & Procedural Law)

Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is a reflection of the provisions of the Rome Statute in relation to the most fundamental condition for the effective functioning of the Court – the cooperation of states. It broadly examines the challenges experienced by the Court with respect to application of Part IX such as whether non-State Parties to the Rome Statute can, notwithstanding their right not to be party, be compelled to cooperate with the Court owing to the customary international law obligation for all States to repress, find and punish persons alleged to have committed the crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court (war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide). This is particularly challenging where such persons are nationals of non-States Parties. The various meanings of international cooperation in criminal matters is discussed with reference to and distinguished from the cooperation regime of the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. For States Parties to the Rome Statute, the thesis evaluates the measure of their inability or unwillingness to genuinely prosecute persons alleged to have committed crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court within the context of the principle of complementarity. It seeks to address, where such inability or unwillingness has been determined by the Court, how effective the cooperation between the States Parties and the Court could best serve the interests of justice. The thesis answers the question on what extent the principle of complementarity influences the cooperation of States with the Court, whether or not these States are party to the Rome Statute. The concept of positive complementarity that establishes a measure of cooperation between the Court and the national criminal jurisdictions is further explored in the context of the Court’s capacity to strengthen local ownership of the enforcement of international criminal justice. A nuanced discussion on the practice of the Court with respect to the right of persons before the Court is developed. The rights of an accused in different phases of Court proceedings and the rights of victims and affected communities of crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction are considered at length and in the light of recently-established principles regulating the Court’s treatment of these individuals. These persons are key interlocutors in the international criminal justice system and have shifted the traditional focus of international law predominantly from states to individuals and bring about a different kind of relationship between States as a collective and their treatment of these individuals arising from obligations to the Rome Statute. Finally the thesis interrogates the enforcement mechanisms under the Rome Statute. Unlike States, the Court does not have an enforcement entity such as a Police Force that would arrest persons accused of committing crimes within its jurisdiction, conduct searches and seizures or compel witnesses to appear before the Court. Yet, the Court must critically assess its practice of enforcing sentences that it imposes on convicted persons and in its contribution to restorative justice, the enforcement of reparations orders in collaboration with other Rome Statute entities such as the Trust Fund for Victims. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis is 'n weerspieëling van die bepalings van die Statuut van Rome in verhouding tot die mees fundamentele voorwaarde vir die effektiewe funksionering van die Hof - die samewerking van State. Dit ondersoek breedweg die uitdagings wat deur die Hof ervaar word met betrekking tot die toepassing van Deel IX soos byvoorbeeld of State wat nie partye is tot die Statuut van Rome, nieteenstaande hul reg om nie deel te wees nie, verplig kan word om saam te werk met die Hof weens die internasionale gewoontereg verpligting om alle persone wat na bewering misdade gepleeg het binne die jurisdiksie van die Hof (oorlogsmisdade, misdade teen die mensdom en volksmoord) te verhinder, vind en straf. Dit is veral uitdagend waar sodanige persone burgers is van State wat nie partye is nie. Die verskillende betekenisse van die internasionale samewerking in kriminele sake word bespreek met verwysing na, en onderskei van, die samewerkende stelsel van die Internasionale Kriminele Tribunale vir Rwanda en die voormalige Joego-Slawië. Vir State wat partye is tot die Statuut van Rome, evalueer die tesis - in die konteks van die beginsel van komplementariteit - die mate van hul onvermoë, of ongewilligheid om werklik persone te vervolg wat na bewering misdade gepleeg het binne die jurisdiksie van die Hof. Dit poog om aan te spreek, waar so 'n onvermoë of ongewilligheid bepaal is deur die Hof, hoe effektiewe samewerking tussen State wat partye is en die Hof, die belange van geregtigheid die beste kan dien. Die tesis beantwoord die vraag op watter mate die beginsel van komplementariteit die samewerking van die State met die Hof beïnvloed, ongeag of hierdie State partye is tot die Statuut van Rome. Die konsep van positiewe komplementariteit wat samewerking vestig tussen die Hof en die nasionale jurisdiksies aangaande kriminele sake word verder ondersoek in die konteks van die Hof se vermoë om plaaslike eienaarskap in die handhawing van die internasionale kriminele regstelsel te versterk. 'n Genuanseerde bespreking op die praktyk van die Hof met betrekking tot die reg van persone voor die Hof word ontwikkel. Die regte van 'n beskuldigde in die verskillende fases van die hof verrigtinge en die regte van slagoffers en geaffekteerde gemeenskappe van misdade binne die hof se jurisdiksie word in diepte bespreek in die lig van die onlangs gevestigde beginsels wat die Hof se behandeling van hierdie individue reguleer. Hierdie persone is sleutel gespreksgenote in die internasionale kriminele regstelsel en het die tradisionele fokus verskuif van die internasionale reg van State na individue, en bring oor 'n ander soort verhouding tussen State as 'n kollektiewe en hulle behandeling van hierdie individue as gevolg van hul verpligtinge aan die Statuut van Rome. Ten slotte bevraagteken die tesis die handhawings meganismes onder die Statuut van Rome. In teenstelling met State, het die Hof nie 'n handhawing entiteit soos 'n Polisiemag wat persone kon arresteer wat beskuldig word van misdade binne sy jurisdiksie, deursoek en beslagleggings uitvoer of persone dwing om as getuies te verskyn voor die Hof nie. Tog, moet die Hof sy praktyk van uitvoering van vonnisse wat dit oplê op veroordeelde persone en in sy bydrae tot herstellende geregtigheid die handhawing van herstelling in samewerking met ander Statuut van Rome entiteite soos die Trust Fonds vir Slagoffers krities assesseer.

The South African Constitution, with its Bill of Rights, represents a decisive break with the past and a great advance by South Africans in reclaiming their human dignity and fundamental freedoms. Before 1993 punishment of crime was defined by the social order which had been designed under the apartheid government; prisoners were generally subjected to cruel and degrading treatment while criminal suspects could be detained indefinitely and without trial. The penal system was to some extent directed at controlling and regulating the conduct of Blacks. The constitutional dispensation has resulted in a re-look at our penal policy and has placed great emphasis on the rights of prisoners. These rights flow from the rights to equality, dignity and liberty. The Constitution has entrenched certain rights of criminal suspects, including the right to a fair trial. Legislation has been introduced to ensure compliance with the constitutional imperatives. The new dispensation has given rise to debate on many issues, and facilitated a rise of a victims’ movement seeking to promote victim interests. This movement has noted that offenders and alleged offenders enjoy a series of constitutional rights, and that corresponding rights for crime victims need to be introduced. Victims are unlikely to be accorded rights in the literal sense of the word; nevertheless, they need to be accommodated within the criminal justice system. This need has given birth to a charter for crime victims, a document that seeks to empower crime victims. The perception remains, however, that offenders and crime suspects still enjoy too much protection, to the detriment of victim interests. The development of victim rights is hampered by the adversarial nature of the country’s criminal justice system and the perception that victims have no role to play within the criminal process, other than as witnesses. The purpose of the thesis is to analyse the extent to which our Bill of Rights strikes a balance between the interests of alleged offenders and offenders on the one hand, and crime victims on the other. It also seeks to create awareness about the plight of crime victims and to make suggestions on possible solutions. / Criminal and Procedural Law / LLD (Criminal & Procedural Law)

Le 21 mars 2001, la loi relative aux droits des victimes d'infraction pénale 2001-5751 est adoptée. Fruit des mouvements féministes et des associations d'aide aux victimes, cette loi marque la reconnaissance par les institutions judiciaires et législatives de la nécessité d'adopter des droits en faveur des victimes d'infraction pénale en général et d'agression sexuelle en particulier. Elle institue, entre autres, le droit au respect, l'accès à l'information durant la procédure, la défense de la vie privée et le droit à la sécurité (face aux accusés ou à leur famille) des victimes d'infraction. Par ailleurs, cette loi énonce que les victimes d'agression sexuelle bénéficient de droits qui leurs sont propres, notamment celui de présenter leur avis à certains stades de la procédure pénale. Pourtant, cette loi ne possède pas de portée juridique obligatoire. La victime d'infraction pénale reste à l'écart de la justice pénale israélienne, sans véritable rôle autre que celui de témoin. Ce faible rôle de la victime semble reposer sur la particularité du système pénal israélien, qui respecte la tradition accusatoire. Selon ce modèle, le procès pénal oppose deux parties, l'accusation et la défense, qui doivent répondre d'un conflit devant une institution judiciaire impartiale, appelée à trouver la vérité à partir de la présentation de leurs arguments et de leurs preuves. Dans ce contexte, la victime n'est pas partie. Ce modèle s'oppose à la tradition inquisitoire, dans laquelle, la présence d'un juge actif participant à l'instruction et d'un juge de l'audience impartial et indépendant semble plus favorable à la participation de la victime. Pourtant, l'influence de ces modèles est moindre que par le passé, tout d'abord parce qu'il n'existe plus de système purement accusatoire ou inquisitoire, ensuite parce que les systèmes judiciaires respectant la tradition accusatoire dans leur pays ont adapté leur structure aux intérêts de la justice, mais aussi aux droits des victimes, notamment grâce à l'intégration des notions de procès équitable et de Due Process of Law. En Israël, cette évolution est plus mitigée. Ainsi, si le système judiciaire israélien reconnaît la victime comme sujet de la procédure, dans la pratique la rencontre avec les acteurs judiciaires est loin d'être facile, tout particulièrement lorsqu'il s'agit d'une victime d'agression sexuelle. En effet, ce type d'infraction repose souvent sur des préjugés et des stéréotypes contre les femmes. Le parcours de la victime d'agression sexuelle commence par le dépôt de plainte et la rencontre avec la police. Il se poursuit par la rencontre avec le procureur durant la phase d'enquête. N'étant pas représentée, c'est souvent seule ou assistée de simples bénévoles qu'elle se présente devant les acteurs de la justice. Lorsque la plainte n'est pas classée sans suite, le parcours de la victime continue par la rencontre avec le(s) juge(s) au cours du procès, durant lequel elle est interrogée par le procureur et contre-interrogée par l'avocat de l'accusé. Cette étape représente une nouvelle épreuve, et peut provoquer une victimisation secondaire, notamment lorsque l'avocat de l'accusé tente de la déstabiliser par ses questions. Ce parcours se termine par la sentence et par l'obtention, si la cour compétente le décide, d'une indemnisation au profit de la victime. L'enfant-victime bénéficie d'une procédure spécifique adaptée à ses besoins. Pourtant, qu'elle soit adulte ou enfant, la victime reste passive et subordonnée aux autres acteurs judiciaires pratiquement à toutes les étapes de la procédure. La victime d'agression sexuelle pourra-t-elle trouver une place active dans le cadre de la procédure pénale traditionnelle ? L'influence des autres systèmes juridiques qui ont su s'adapter pour intégrer le droit des victimes, et l'émergence de nouvelles pratiques telles que la justice restaurative pourraient permettre une évolution concernant le traitement de la victime d'agression sexuelle. / On the 21st of March 2001, the "Rights of Victims of Crime Law", which acknowledges the existence of victims in the criminal procedure, was passed. This law, which is the fruit of the intervention of the feminist and the human rights movement, finally recognizes the necessity of granting rights to victim of crime in general, and the victim of sexual offences in particular. The "Rights of Victims of Crime Law" included a series of rights for victims during the different stages of the criminal proceedings such as free access to information, the protection of their privacy and the right to be protected inside and outside of the court from intimidation by offenders and their families. Likewise, victims of sexual offences may receive information, and express their opinions, under specific conditions at different stages during the trial and in cases where a plea bargain is struck between the offender and the prosecutor. Despite this new law, the victim's participation in the process remains symbolic. The victim remains on the sidelines of the Israeli criminal justice system, with no active role at any stage of the criminal process. The only real players are the public prosecutor, the accused and his or her lawyers. It seems at first glance that the fact that the victim does not participate in the criminal process is based on the characteristics of the Israeli criminal system as an adversarial system. As an adversarial system of law, the Israeli criminal system consists of two parties only, which are equal: the prosecution and the accused seeking to resolve a dispute before a passive judge, interested in discovering the procedural truth. In this system, there are two parties, the defense and the prosecution, the victims only representation being as a witness. However, we have seen that during the last thirty years, in countries utilizing a similar legal system, a clear evolution in victims' rights based on the Due Process of Law and a fair trial for the accused and for the victims of sexual abuse. In some of these countries, victims have profited from an effective role during the proceedings. The journey of the victims of sexual offences in the criminal court, from the filling of a complaint with the police, to the meeting with the prosecutor and judges, until the sentence, is not easy, considering that he or she is not represented by a lawyer. Moreover, the domain of sexual offences is laden with stereotypes that the victims have to deal with. If "The Rights of Victims of Crime Law", try to ease the process for victims, the victims' participation is weak and depends on the will of the prosecutor. Moreover, the opinion of the victim does not have any bounding value. In fact, this law does not provide standing or remedies for victims rights violation. The traditional Israeli criminal system does not satisfy the need for victims of sexual assault to express human feelings during the stages of the criminal process, and may lead in certain case to secondary victimisation. Therefore, it is interesting to consider if the Israeli criminal prooceedings could be influenced by other systems of law which have succeeded in granting effective rights to victims, and whether the social and juridical evolution of Israeli society might offer progressively a forum to victims, notably with the utilization of restorative justice.