WUNRN
In an ideal world, women would never
be victims of violent crimes. But, every day the news tells us of such
traumatic, horrific crimes inflicted on women. The compounded victimization by
the judicial process and the physical and mental recovery, make economic,
social, and bodily healing an enormous challenge for women victims of violent
crimes. As stated in this European Convention on the Compensation of Victims of
Violent Crimes: "
In principle, the offender should pay the compensation, by order of the civil
or - in some countries - criminal courts or by a judicial or extrajudicial
arrangement between him and the victim. However, though the victim can obtain
satisfaction by this means in theory, full reparation is seldom made in
practice, in particular because of the offender's non-apprehension,
disappearance or lack of means." For EU countries ratifying, this
Convention serves as a frame of justice for women violent crime victims, and
hopefully a deterrent that such crimes occur.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
European
Convention on the Compensation of Victims of Violent Crimes
Strasbourg,
24.XI.1983
FULL CONVENTION TEXT: http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/html/116.htm
EU MEMBER STATE PARTIES TO THE
CONVENTION AS OF 9/10/2014
|
Total
number of signatures not followed by ratifications: |
8 |
|
Total
number of ratifications/accessions: |
25 |
Summary
of the Treaty
This Convention puts upon States that become a Party to it, the obligation to compensate the victims of intentional and violent offences resulting in bodily injury or death. The obligation to compensate is limited to offences committed on the territory of the State concerned, regardless of the nationality of the victim.
_____________________________________________________________________________
I. Introduction
1. In recent decades, policy makers and criminologists have been particularly concerned with the victim's position in crime and with protecting the victim's interests. They have emphasised that assisting victims must be a constant concern of crime policy, on a par with the penal treatment of offenders. Such assistance includes measures designed to alleviate psychological distress as well as to make reparation for the victim's physical injuries.
One of these concerns is to provide compensation for the victim or his dependants. In principle, the offender should pay the compensation, by order of the civil or - in some countries - criminal courts or by a judicial or extrajudicial arrangement between him and the victim. However, though the victim can obtain satisfaction by this means in theory, full reparation is seldom made in practice, in particular because of the offender's non-apprehension, disappearance or lack of means.
2. In the 1960s, therefore, various Council of Europe member states started setting up schemes to compensate victims from public funds when compensation was otherwise unavailable. In view of this development, the CEPC (now the CDPC) decided in 1970 to add the compensation of victims of crime to its work programme. This decision was approved by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe at their Deputies' 192nd meeting, but no action was taken on it pending the outcome of relevant work by the International Association of Penal Law (11th International Congress on Penal Law, Budapest, 1974).
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Right of Victims of Human Rights Violations to Reparation in the African Human Rights System - October 2013
http://www.redress.org/downloads/publications/1310Reaching%20For%20JusticeFinal.pdf