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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 10:23 pm
Time: 10:23 pm
Results for victims of terrorism
2 results foundAuthor: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Title: The Criminal Justice Response to Support Victims of Acts of Terrorism Summary: The handbook draws on the national experiences of a broad range of geographically representative criminal justice experts regarding programmes of assistance and support for victims of acts of terrorism. This handbook is intended to share experiences related to support mechanisms for victims of terrorism, and to give policymakers and criminal justice officials practical insights into challenges faced, and good practices developed, by their counterparts at the national and regional level. Our hope is that this handbook will aid Member States in the development and implementation of programmes of assistance and support for victims of acts of terrorism within their respective criminal justice systems. Victims have long played a secondary, and mostly silent, role in criminal trials. UNODC recognizes the importance of representing victims’ interests in criminal proceedings and the relevance of developing comprehensive programmes that effectively provide adequate treatment to victims of acts of terrorism. Effective criminal prosecution of alleged perpetrators is a crucial factor in reducing the perception of victimization and of impunity for terrorist acts. Granting victims equal and effective access to justice is also essential. In order to further integrate the perspective of victims into UNODC’s capacity-building activities addressing the criminal justice aspects of countering terrorism, the role of victims and their surviving family members in criminal proceedings needs to be emphasized. The publication of this handbook comes at a moment of great sorrow for UNODC and for the entire United Nations. On 26 August 2011, the United Nations office in Abuja, Nigeria, was the target of a terrorist attack that shocked the world and drew global condemnation. The car bomb that was detonated cut short the lives of twenty-four friends and colleagues working for the betterment of humanity. The attack targeted not only the United Nations presence in Nigeria, but also its universal values and global missions of peace. In the face of such heinous acts, we have responded with strengthened resolve to fight against terrorism and build a safer, more just and peaceful world for all. We dedicate this publication to our colleagues who lost their lives in Abuja, and in the increasing number of terrorist attacks on United Nations’ premises in recent years, as well as to all victims of terrorist acts worldwide. Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2011. 118p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 10, 2012 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/terrorism/Victims_Rights_E-Book_EN.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/terrorism/Victims_Rights_E-Book_EN.pdf Shelf Number: 123547 Keywords: TerrorismVictim ServicesVictims of Terrorism |
Author: International Network Supporting Victims of Terrorism and Mass Violence Title: Supporting Victims of Terrorism. Report of the INVICTM Symposium in Stockholm Summary: On May 19, 2018, INVICTM - International Network Supporting Victims of Terrorism and Mass Violence - held its second international symposium on Supporting Victims of Terrorism in Stockholm, Sweden. This report reflects the discussions held during the symposium. Terrorism affects individuals, communities and societies. The Circles of Impact model offers a framework to illustrate the breadth of the potential impact of a terrorist attack: four circles encompass the different groups in society that an attack might affect. The inner circle of victimization contains individuals during the terrorist attack and directly affected by it. A second, wider, circle includes the direct victims' close social environment, such as family, friends or peers. The third circle refers to individuals who are part of the formal support network such as first responders or victim support providers. And the fourth, largest circle embraces the wider society of which the individual victim is a member. A victim response aimed at understanding and responding to the needs of all those affected by terrorism builds on the Circles of Impact model and can be more inclusive than relying on limited legal definitions of who is a victim. Experts agree that a broad set of needs are common to victims of all types of crime. Victims of terrorism, however, can have additional needs and exacerbated common crime victim needs. Symposium participants identified respect and recognition, commemoration, information provision, support, compensation, access to justice and peer support as some of terrorism victims' primary needs. The list is not exhaustive nor are the needs isolated from one another -- they are closely intertwined. This report describes primary terrorism victim needs and offers tips, practical solutions, good practices and examples from across the globe to help meet these needs. Given the complexities of supporting victims of terrorism, experts recommend a flexible approach to responding to each unique terrorist attack. Years of experience and expertise, however, allow us to identify some common predictable challenges and the practical solutions that can address them. Participants from around the world identified local challenges and practical solutions for supporting victims of terrorism during the symposium. A high quality response to victims of terrorism should build on a number of basic principles: First, understand that short and long-term terrorism victim needs are intertwined. No matter how well the immediate response is carried out, there will unavoidably be long-term consequences to the victim. Second, the foundation for an effective response is a victim-centered perspective that incorporates listening to individual victims to identify their needs and being attentive to the particular needs of vulnerable groups. Individuals or groups that are particularly vulnerable to the impact of terrorist attacks include children, cross-border victims, support providers or individuals who could have been on the scene of the attack. Vulnerable individuals may have particular needs that require a specialized and adaptive response. Given the nature of the scenario used during the symposium, participants focused, in particular, on cross-border victims. Increasingly, foreigners become victims in a country that is not their own, which adds a layer of complexity to both understanding and responding to victim needs. Third, sufficient advance planning and preparation form the backbone of any comprehensive response for victims of terrorism. Symposium participants reinforced the importance of the preparatory phase identifying numerous steps that can and should be taken in advance of an attack. Fourth, effective coordination in times of need builds on a network established during the preparatory phase. The work of creating networks is currently ongoing at both national and international levels. INVICTM's leadership role in fostering and facilitating a network is an important step in improving international collaboration to strengthen the support for all victims of terrorism. Details: Brussels: Victim Support Europe, 2018. 86p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2019 at: https://victimsupport.eu/activeapp/wp-content/files_mf/1553847245INVICTMSymposiumReport2018.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://victimsupport.eu/activeapp/wp-content/files_mf/1553847245INVICTMSymposiumReport2018.pdf Shelf Number: 155340 Keywords: First RespondersTerrorismVictim ServicesVictims of Terrorism |