What victims want

THE PRINCIPLE of providing support, moral or otherwise, to victims of crime is a noble idea; something that should occur naturally in any civilised society. Hence it should not have needed a high-profile intervention by the Prime Minister to signify our commitment to it.

The announcement of support from key personalities such as the Chief Justice and other high-profile officials is hardly news as no less could have been expected of them. What Mr. Patterson did not spell out clearly is what form support for victims of crime would take.

The needs of these victims are as varied as the types of crimes themselves. The needs of survivors of brutal murders are very different from those of the victims of economic crimes and so on and so forth. Does the Government have either the expertise or the resources to render its intention feasible?

As Mr. Patterson indicated, there is scarcely an individual who has not been touched by crime and criminality in this country today. Who therefore will establish a priority table for treating with the victims?

We venture to suggest that the most universal form of support that victims expect is that criminals will be dealt with in accordance with the law. This therefore demands that the offenders be first apprehended, tried, and if convicted, punished. The record of apprehension does not provide that support. Neither does the ability to effectively keep the culprits in custody.

But perhaps the most glaring anomaly of all is the inability of the Government to apply the law as it relates to capital murder.

We do not wish to sound bloodthirsty, but unless the Government is prepared to deal one way or the other with capital murder its commitment to victim support will be regarded as a sham - a promise without pedigree.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner.

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