SOC109 Lecture 20

• SOC109 Lecture 20 F24.pdf

• Crime is an attack to our collective conciousness.

• Issues of access to justice, are issues to justice. POL116 Final Example

• Courts aren't easily replicable

• Why would a victim of sexual assault not report the crime?

  • 83% aren't reported.
    • How was this number come to?
  • Why?
    • The victim might not be aware of their rights.
      • Don't know what claim or dispute to have to then bring it to the courtroom.
      • Don't know what statute protects them.
    • Victim thinks the court won't take their case seriously.
      • Against the law mentality.
    • Victim thinks the fiscal, societal or cultural costs might be too high for a criminal trial

• Court procedures may cause more trauma than resolved

  • Time consuming and resource intensive.
  • Social stigma cause it's public
    • Life-ruining to wrongly-accused
    • But exposes victims and plaintiffs
    • May paint both in a bad light
    • Credibility of victims and plaintiffs are questioned
  • Secondary victimization
    • Prosecution of a crime might mean reliving trauma

• The Criminal Justice System may deliver an outcome you don't like

  • Cases that go to trial, only 42% result in a guilty verdict.
  • Most assaults have no witness other than the accuser and the accused.
  • In a criminal trial, it must be 'beyond a reasonable doubt'.
  • Unanimity amongst the jury
  • Criminal courts are for sanctions, this doesn't do much for the victim.
  • Similar things for civil trials