Research projects
Protection for victims of crime
Issues at stake
The Canadian Victims Bill of Rights recognizes the importance of protecting victims of crime. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms also guarantees everyone the right to security of the person. Victims have the right to be protected against attacks on their safety and privacy, against intimidation, and against reprisals. Several legal measures exist to ensure victim protection in Canada (for example, Criminal Code provisions relating to testimonial aids, prohibitions on contacting the victim, publication bans, and electronic monitoring).
Despite these legal measures, protection remains a concern for victims, regardless of whether or not they have engaged in criminal justice. Those who have experienced violence will have greater difficulty recovering and regaining a sense of security. Fear for their safety or that of their loved ones is also likely to affect their cooperation with the criminal justice system.
Research objectives
This study aims to identify ways in which victim protection can be improved and this fundamental right strengthened. We would like to better understand the legal and non-legal measures and practices that can be used to promote the protection of victims of crime. Through semi-structured interviews, we seek to gather testimonies from direct victims and their families, as well as those who work with these individuals. We would like to better understand their past experiences and obtain their perspectives on this issue.
Who is leading this project?
The directors of this research are Jo-Anne Wemmers and Alain-Guy Tachou-Sipowo, professors at the School of Criminology, and Amissi Manirabona, professor at the Faculty of Law at the Université de Montréal. Marisa Canuto is the research coordinator, and Andreea Ioana Zota, a doctoral student at the School of Criminology at the Université de Montréal, is one of our research assistants.
You can consult the page of the research group Victims, Rights and Society, led by Prof Jo-Anne Wemmers.