Victimology
Domestic Violence and Child
Abuse.
Domestic violence approach
• Incidents should be treated as top most
priority (Crown Office Policy Group, 2005)
• Safety of the victim, family and other
people who are present should be
prioritized in answering call.
• When the accused is to be prosecuted and
granted bail, the attorney can request
he/she resides elsewhere separate from
the victim.
Continued….
• The victim is interviewed separately to give an account
of what transpired.
• Alleged perpetrators are interviewed
separately for further evidence.
• Other neutral sources are interviewed and this is not
restricted to eye witnesses.
• Details of previous domestic abuse incidents, victim
contact number, information on children who reside in
the house, the injuries sustained, conditions of bail,
special risks to the victim, children, results on enquiries,
treatment of vulnerable witness.
Domestic violence Approach
• All information that is pertinent should be given
in the report to ensure that prosecution takes
place if there is enough evidence.
• Refer the victim to other external agencies for
advice and support. (Crown Office Policy Group,
2005)
• Domestic violence protective order and violation
of bail and protective order.
• For financial support, for love, to maintain their
marital status, for security and pressure from
family.
Domestic violence Approach
• The assailant is arrested when
authorization is done and sometimes a
warrant less arrest is given for special
cases (Crown Office Policy Group, 2005)
• Broken windows and doors, blood stains,
weapons note if the furniture has been
disturbed.
• Dual arrests are not effective in the
enforcement of law.
Assistance to the domestic
violence victims
• Directing them to get help and support from
agencies that deal with domestic violence.
• The reluctant victims should receive a lot of
counseling and support. (Crown Office Policy
Group, 2005)
• All victims should be encouraged to report such
cases and help should available.
• The society should fully support all the victims
instead of blaming them
Child Abuse
• Repeated injuries that are unexplained
e.g. bruises, burns and welts.
• Withdrawn or aggressive behavior.
• Fear of going home and refraining contact
by adults.
• Difficulties in sitting or walking. Wounds in
the genitalia and blood.
• Withdrawal from activities.
Child Abuse
• Child abuse is when a child is harmed
either physically, emotionally or sexually
by another person.
• Child neglect is when a child is denied
basic needs such as clothes food and
shelter.
• The passive indifference by a parent
towards the well being of the child (Lectric
law library, 2006).
Child abuse
• Guardian Litem assists the court in
determination of matters after an
appointment by the judge (Lectric law
library, 2006).
• Birth parents relinquish their rights.
• When you give up your child for adoption.
Child abuse
• Exclusive jurisdiction (Lectric law library,
2006).
• Declination by tribal court
• Intervention through proceedings of the
state court (Hunt, 2006)
• Full faith in the proceedings of the judiciary
involving Indian tribes.
Child Abuse
• To act as an advocate to the children
whose attention is drawn by the court due
to neglect and abuse (Hunt, 2006).
• The volunteers are responsible in
reporting new cases of abuse to the
authorities
• Social services protects children.
• They intervene in cases of neglected or
abused children.
References
• Lectric law library, (2006). Child neglect.
Retrieved on 24th April 2009
fromhttp://www.lectlaw.com/def/c034.htm
• (Crown Office Policy Group, (2005). Domestic
abuse. Retrieved on 24th April 2009
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:n1RgST5
OOXUJ:www.copfs.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/13545
/0000143.pdf+best+practices+in+the+investigati
on+of+domestic+abuse+cases.&cd=3&hl=en&ct
=clnk&gl=ke
References
• Hunt, J. (2006). Best practices for law
enforcement response. Retrieved on 24th
April
2009http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache
:4Eh6Saf9yYMJ:www.ncgccd.org/pubs/dv
proto.pdf+best+practices+in+the+investiga
tion+of+domestic+abuse+cases.&cd=1&hl
=en&ct=clnk&gl=ke