Crime victims and criminal justice: modern legislative initiatives and the Greek experience

• In Event: Victim Rights and Legislative Initiatives

Abstract

Contemporary legislative initiatives for crime victims at the European and international level are focused on rights’ institution, increasing humans’ protection, and the substantial settlement of the issue of compensation with a view to solving existing difficulties and obstacles and considering current social developments. In that sense, the new legislation in Greece attempts essential innovations at the level of rights for crime victims, establishes legislative regulations for special categories of victims, such as adults, witness-victims of human trafficking, etc. and introduces new procedures such as plea bargaining with clear implications for victims. The ultimate purpose of the above is, among other things, to strengthen the reporting of crimes by victims with obvious positive consequences at the level of societies (e.g. reduction of dark crime numbers etc.) and the conscious choice of recourse to criminal justice that serves not only the victim’s satisfaction, but at the same time the provision of important services to the potential victims, but also to the perpetrators of the crime in the direction of crime prevention and social solidarity.

Authors

• VASILIKI VLACHOU, PANTEION UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCES

• VASILIKI STATHOPOULOU, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences