A justice system that focuses on the victim, as well as the offender

The police and our insurance company treated us professionally and fairly, but still a lot of time was taken to talk to everyone. Time was needed to drive an hour to Alberta Beach to see if there were any personal items to be recovered, as well as to look for a new vehicle.

But the impact of this criminal victimization did not consist only of the property damage and the financial loss. It also included psychological and emotional after-effects.

My wife wondered if we had been targeted or singled out. Why was our vehicle stolen and not other trucks parked on the same street?

We will never know as no one has ever been arrested or charged.

Steering wheel clubs have since sprouted on vehicles on our block. They may be effective, but they are also a reminder of the communal loss of a sense of safety and security.

Shortly after the theft, I began work as restorative justice manager at the Mediation and Restorative Justice Centre (MRJC). Here, I have learned that my experience is shared by most other victims of crime.

Unanswered questions, emotional scars and physical symptoms like sleeping problems are common results of having been a victim.

But these results do not have to be permanent.

….April 18 to 24 is National Victims of Crime Awareness
Week. It is an opportunity to raise awareness about victim issues and
about the services and laws in place to help victims and their families.

Victims
of crime and their families deserve support from their community.
Victims of crime need to know that they have a voice in our criminal
justice system and that there are laws in place to help them.

Restorative justice can play an important role in
Canada’s justice system because of its focus on the need for every
victim of crime to be treated with compassion and respect for their
dignity.

By involving victims and the community, along with
offenders, in addressing crime, restorative justice offers the following
benefits to victims:

• The process allows victims to tell their
  own story about the impact of the harm they have received and have their
  questions answered directly by the offender;
• It gives victims a
  direct and personal voice and participation in the criminal justice
  system;
• The restorative justice dialogue allows an offender to
  acknowledge responsibility and accountability directly to the victim;
• The process also creates an opportunity for recognition of impact of
  harm to the community and hope for healing, closure and transformation
  to the victim;
• Restorative justice aims to put key decisions in
  the hands of those most affected by crime.

This week has been an
opportunity for all of us, citizens and those working in the criminal
justice system, to re-commit to ensuring that victims are involved in
the process and come out satisfied.

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