ABSTRACT
Introduction The criminal justice process has often been viewed as a playground for professionals – the judge/magistrate, the defence and the prosecution – who determine the aspects of the incident that are relevant for discussion and further interrogation. This has produced two losers: victims and offenders, neither of whom is able to influence the process or the outcome within a criminal justice setting, the impact of which Umbreit explains as follows:
Victims often feel powerless and vulnerable . . . twice victimized, first by the offender and then by an uncaring criminal justice system. . . . Offenders are rarely able to understand . . . the human dimension of their criminal behavior: that victims are real people, not just objects to be abused.
