NCJ Number
100060
Journal
Social Defence Quarterly Volume: 29 Issue: 75 Dated: (January 1984) Pages: 11-15
Date Published
1984
Length
5 pages
Annotation
After surveying problems faced by victims of crime, the author urges the government of India to enact a victim compensation law similar to those found in some Western nations.
Abstract
Some consequences of victimization are economic strain when a breadwinner is injured or killed, frustration experienced by an individual disabled by a criminal, and social stigma. While humanitarian considerations call for attention to the victim's plight, the victim is ignored in many developing countries and some developed ones. The oldest concern for the victim is for compensation and restitution. This is stated in the Old Testament, as well as in modern laws in countries such as Great Britain and the United States. Criminal law in India is oriented to the accused, and there is no program for compensating victims. As the largest democratic nation in the world, India ought to focus on needy victims of crime. Initially, a committee should be established to examine compensation for victims of violent crime. 5 references.