The legal system genuinely doesn’t work for victims any more.
Victim of theft, rape, employment abuse?
You’re in for a confusing, expensive, and emotionally raw ride with no real scope for just and dignified outcomes.
Every victim is collateral damage in this system that doesn’t prioritise care for upstanding humans.
CalicoCatRobot on
I can see some sense in extending the time limit, but the point of a justice system is that it is specifically not left to victims to decide sentences.
Of course their impact statements are vital and important part of judging the impact an offence has had, which is relevant to sentencing, and the system needs to find better ways to make things easier for them, but should someone get a lesser sentence if the victim forgives them? Or longer if the victim feels particularly strongly that they can never forgive them?
The point is that guidelines are in place for judges to come to their decision, and if they have been followed correctly, an appeal against sentence rarely has any chance regardless.
Maybe there should be better checks to ensure guidelines have been followed, particularly with longer sentences, instead of relying on victims, or media attention, to throw up cases where the guidelines have been ignored.
I guess this is a cheap change so easy to do, but I’d rather funding went into improving victim support services, with things like support & therapy where needed, than pretending this will make much of a difference to victims in reality.
2 commenti
The legal system genuinely doesn’t work for victims any more.
Victim of theft, rape, employment abuse?
You’re in for a confusing, expensive, and emotionally raw ride with no real scope for just and dignified outcomes.
Every victim is collateral damage in this system that doesn’t prioritise care for upstanding humans.
I can see some sense in extending the time limit, but the point of a justice system is that it is specifically not left to victims to decide sentences.
Of course their impact statements are vital and important part of judging the impact an offence has had, which is relevant to sentencing, and the system needs to find better ways to make things easier for them, but should someone get a lesser sentence if the victim forgives them? Or longer if the victim feels particularly strongly that they can never forgive them?
The point is that guidelines are in place for judges to come to their decision, and if they have been followed correctly, an appeal against sentence rarely has any chance regardless.
Maybe there should be better checks to ensure guidelines have been followed, particularly with longer sentences, instead of relying on victims, or media attention, to throw up cases where the guidelines have been ignored.
I guess this is a cheap change so easy to do, but I’d rather funding went into improving victim support services, with things like support & therapy where needed, than pretending this will make much of a difference to victims in reality.