ABSTRACT
Upon disclosure of a crime to the police, victims concede control over how to respond to the offence to judicial authorities. Meanwhile, regaining control over one’s life and over the consequences of victimization is instrumental to victims’ recovery (Herman 1997). Consequently, when victims delegate control over the offence to the judicial authorities, this does not imply they do not feel a need for involvement in subsequent proceedings (Wemmers 2002). Participation has in fact been found to be fundamental to victims’ perceptions of the fairness of the criminal justice system. This association can be explained by procedural justice theory.
