Victim's Rights in Spain and the United States

• In Event: Victims' Rights and Remedies

Abstract

This paper will examine recent developments in victim's rights in Spain with a comparative focus on the United States. Recently, in consonance with EU guidelines, Spain is developing a Victims Charter. In the United States, nevertheless, the concession of rights to victims is not new and since the 1970s, the victims rights movement has made notable advances. This paper will compare the rights of victims in the US to those in Spain where state prosecution is not the only authority to defend victims rights (e.g. third party prosecution). Procedural mechanisms have been quickly introduced in the United States, yet are fairly novel in Spain. This paper will compare and contrast criminal justice features of victims rights and their implications in policy and practice.

Authors

• Rosemary Barberet, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Catalina Vidales Rodriguez, Universidad Jaume I

• Andrea Planchadell Gargallo, Universidad Jaume I