Victim Within The Criminal Justice System Criminology Essay

Victim Within The Criminal Justice System Criminology Essay An offender is an accused defendant who is convicted of a serious crime and who is set to appear before the criminal court. There are 37.2 offenders in total in Ireland. 38.1 of them are male and 32 of them are female. There are 53.6% of people aged under 18 who commit crimes. 33.5% of offenders get community service and 39.3% are out on a type of probation order. The most impressive statistic was that 63% of offenders did not re-offend within two years.  [2]   A victim is someone who has been harmed or affected by an offence caused by another person. Victims of violent crime may suffer financial stress as well as suffering from their injuries and emotional trauma. Recovering from violence or abuse can have effect on them for the rest of their lives as they could live in fear and suffer anxiety. Lots of people are shocked after a crime and how they feel emotionally. Theses emotions can have many effects and can leave you feeling unhappy and confused. And this can also affect family and friends around you, your emotions can have an impact on them as they will be concerned for you. Although many people feel that they have to be able to cope with this emotional burden and are expected to live out their daily lives as if nothing has happened, most victims will need counselling to come to terms with what has happened.  [3]   For this essay we have chosen to talk about the victim as we think the victim suffers the most physically and emotionally. The victim of a crime can need counselling to help them come to terms with their emotions and fears. Discussion There are many different ways a person can be a victim. Someone can be a victim for anything from a minor crime up to a major crime. Examples of where someone can be a victim are from theft, robbery, burglary, assault, dangerous driving, sexual offences, murder and manslaughter and human trafficking.  [4]  In many cases of crime it is not just the victim that can be affected, their family can also be affected, more so in the major crime cases of dangerous driving, sexual offences, murder and manslaughter. As we previously mentioned, there are many types of victims when it comes to crime, and usually the persons role within, and there perspective of the criminal justice system will change depending of the circumstances of each case. For example somebody pressing charges for something minor such as vandalism is going to expect far less drastic results than say somebody who has been the victim of rape. Also we noted that there was a staggering amount of rape crime actually reported in this country, The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre recorded 11,839 calls to their helplines, with over 9,000 of them being genuine, so when we realised the problem that exists with rape in this country we decided we would use rape cases as the main focal point of our group paper.  [5]   Rape cases can differ a lot from another type of case .For example while trials in general take place in public in our state, rape cases will be held in camera, so as to protect the victims anonymity. In some serious cases as well such as rape, arrangements may be made so that the accused does not have to appear in court along with the accused, and may instead be allowed to give evidence via a video link from another area of the courts.  [6]   In rape cases this would be of particular benefit to the victim, who due to the sensitive nature of the crime and the traumatic experience they have already been through may find the prospect of having to come face to face with their attackers in the courtroom too daunting and not be able for it. Report the crime The victim should report the crime to the police as soon as the crime has occurred. When a victim reports a crime quite quickly after the crime has occurred it allows the police to gather any evidence that may fade over time. Prompt reporting will support the victims account of what happened. Many victims of sexual assault are unsure whether they want a case to be prosecuted. Victims who are unsure about prosecution are advised to seek information about guidance to make an informed decision. For example, even if the victim is not ready to prosecute immediately after the crime, prosecutors have at least six years or more to file sexual assault charges. It is important to note that even if a crime is not immediately reported, that prosecution may still be possible. A delay in reporting is typical for safety reasons.  [7]  The role of a victim is extremely important in the Criminal justice system. They must go through a number of stages in the criminal trial process in order to feel justice was served. The first stage is actually reporting the crime. This can be difficult for many as there are a number of doubts in their minds. Such as trust in the gardai, recount the details etc. It estimated in 2007 that about 30 per cent of burglaries were unreported, as were nearly four in 10 incidents of theft with violence. Offences of a sexual nature and domestic violence are grossly under-recorded  [8]  This is astonishing and very worrying for our criminal justice system. Preserve of evidence If a crime is reported, the police will gather and keep all of the evidence from the crime, which includes: bloodstained clothing, bedding, weapons and damage to property. The police will also take photographs of injuries, damage to property and also photographs of where the crime occurred. Photographs should also be taken of the victims injuries after the crime to show the stages of healing. Testify If the case proceeds to trial, victims should expect to testify. Adult victims: Testimony is less formal before the grand jury than in a courtroom setting. The grand Jury proceedings are private. Theyre one on one with the prosecutor and the victim. The Prosecutor asks the victim questions in order to get an understanding of the case. This testimony only lasts about an hour. Testifying at trial is more formal. The victim has to wait outside the court room until it is her time to testify. The prosecutor will ask the victim questions first. Then the defence attorney scrutinizes the victim. The judges role is to also make sure that the questions asked by the attorneys are appropriate according to legal rules. There is no set time on the length of a trial testimony. The prosecutor will help the victim on preparing them for the types of questions that may be asked. The victim witness advocate will help the victim on ensuring the feelings that she may evoke on testifying and helps to provide the victim with all the support that she may need in making it a less scary situation. Sometimes criminal prosecutions go in the favour of the victim as the offender may admit to everything. This means that the victim doesnt have to testify in court. Child Victims: Young children are usually asked questions by the Judge. The judge has to be content that the child understands the legal rules of a courtroom and the oath in which it is vital that he/she must tell the truth. The courtroom can be a very scary place for a child this is why the judge ensures that the child can handle testifying.  [9]   Pressing charges Some victims may personally know the suspect that committed the crime against them. Some may be related such as a mother and son relationship. In this case it is hard for the victims to choice between seeking justice and doing what is best for both the criminal and themselves. Going to court The next stage the victim goes through is the court case. This is undoubtedly the most daunting experience for the victim. Particularly for child abuse cases and rape cases. In the case of Frances Andrade, she subsequently killed herself after giving evidence in court. She said it felt like getting raped all over again. She was sexually abused by her music teacher when she was in school. When it came around to giving evidence she felt that recounting the details in a court atmosphere was worse for her than the rape itself. Andrade killed herself the day after she heard her abuser giving his side of the story. However, some may say that by allowing the victim giving evidence they feel that they are participating in seeking justice for themselves. Conclusion We have discussed in detail the role and perspective of the victim in the criminal justice system in order to seek justice. We as a group unanimously feel that the role of the victim in the criminal justice system is crucial for receiving the justice they deserve. From summary and indictable to serious offences, justice must be served in every case and the role and perspective of the victim is important in delivering justice.

Why Kill the Dolphins? :: Marine Life Whaling Fishing Conservation Essays

Why Kill the Dolphins? Dolphins make up the largest and most diverse family of cetaceans. The family contains 26 recognized species of which 13 tend to have long well defined beaks and streamlined robust bodies. Many vary in size, shape, colors, beaks and flippers, as humans have various characteristics. One of the most common dolphins that are found in southern California is the bottlenose dolphin (Kelly). The bottlenose dolphin is mainly found in coastal waters between 45 degrees north and 45 degrees south, also in Northern Europe waters. It is believed that there are two types of bottlenose dolphin regional wise: oceanic form and coastal form. This species is studied the most by biologists (Jefferson). The coastal population lives in fairly open groups with twenty or less in a pod, some groups are found to contain more in open ocean. It is not uncommon for these species to interact and breed with other species, as would a human interact with other diverse humans. The dolphins feeding behavior is adapted to the availability of resources. They sometimes are known to work together to catch fish from large schools, they also trail behind large fishing boats to catch what falls behind (Leatherwood). A large problem today is the incidental exploitation of the bottlenose dolphins in the Black sea. The dolphins suffer from entanglement in gillnets, shark nets, shrimp trawls, and purse seine nets in the eastern pacific tropical tuna fishery. In the past twenty years a large amount of bottlenose dolphin have been killed due to the tuna fishery. In the Eastern Pacific swim large schools of tuna, these shoals tend to be under herds of dolphins, for some unexplained reason. Because of this, fishermen can easily find schools of tuna. The tuna are being caught under purse seine nets, which encircles the shoals of tuna and then is pulled back on board the fishing vessel, catching both tuna and dolphin. Initially the mortality rate was 500,000 each year for dolphins alone. Although some efforts are made to encourage the dolphins to leave the net by backing down part of the net, which allows the dolphins to escape, there are still a large number of mortalities (Bryant). On the other hand, in the last few years there has been dramatic progress in stopping the fishing industries from using purse sine nets. It has been found that dolphins are in immediate danger of extinction if these fishing techniques don’t stop.

George and Lennie Essay

All the characters played in the novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† are lonesome, living an empty life everyday consisting of mainly hard labor. The characters all live a very disheartening life, with the lack of happiness, love and affection in their lives. This can be seen also when George mentions that ‘ranch workers are the loneliest people in the world and don’t belong nowhere†. Of the many characters in the novel, Curley’s wife might be one of the most pathetic and reviled of the outsiders. Steinbeck introduces her to us as an outcast, where she is isolated from the community. Being a minor character in the novel, Steinbeck manages to illustrate her as a character that deeply influences the lives of the main characters George and Lennie. Throughout the whole novel, Curley’s wife’s name is never mentioned. This initiates the readers to feel the sense of belonging of Curley’s wife to Curley and to emphasize as an pariah, being feared of, leaving her with nobody to talk to and her identity as a mystery. Apart from that, Curley’s wife is portrayed as the only female in the ranch, and although she is married to Curley, the boss’s son, giving her a high status at the ranch, they are psychologically separated, and are never witnessed together, leaving her desperate for camaraderie. Her desire of attention and escape from loneliness leads her to try to seek attention from other men working in the ranch by flirting. Her coquettish actions and inappropriate dressing leads other characters to think of her as a â€Å"tart†. The ranch workers are uneasy about this and avoid her in fear of being reprimanded by Curley which may cost them to lose their jobs innocently. She is first introduced by Steinbeck when she comes into the bunkhouse disrupting a conversation that Lennie and George are holding. The depiction is dramatic, â€Å"Both men glanced up, for the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off†. This suggests that she has obscured the light, and darkened the room with her presence. This gives a dark and threatening image. Steinbeck describes the image of her standing and peering through the door, â€Å"heavily made-up† with â€Å"full rouged lips† and â€Å"her fingernails† being applied with â€Å"red† nailpolish. The fact that she was â€Å"looking in† through the door â€Å"standing there† accentuates her as an outsider. She is also described wearing â€Å"red mules† and with â€Å"bouquets of red ostrich feathers† on them. The constant repetition of the word â€Å"red† used in the novel to describe Curley’s wife portrays her as one who is dangerous because the color red is quite provocative and has connotations such as love, passion and danger. â€Å"Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages† implies the extensive amount of time she has, being alone with nothing better to do than to curl her hair. Her inappropriate body language proves how she dreadfully tries to seek attention and flirts openly with men as she positions herself against the door frame so that â€Å"her body was thrown forward†. She smiles â€Å"archly† and â€Å"twitch(es) her body†. This gives the reader the general impression that Curley’s wife is an attractive young lady who seeks attention of men. George’s immediate comments such as â€Å"Jesus, what a tramp†, and â€Å"So that’s what Curley picks for a wife† and reactions to Curley’s wife, however, allows the reader to realize that she is a potential threat to George and Lennie. George fumes when he knows of Lennie’s admiration of her being one who is â€Å"purty† and fiercely tells him not to even â€Å"take a look at that bitch† and refers to her as â€Å"poison† and â€Å"jail bait† and to leave her alone. It is obvious that she longs for friends and for someone to talk to, however, males on the ranch dislike her because they see has as one who is a magnet to trouble.

William Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing - 1784 Words

beatrice Beatrice is a witty, talkative character in Much Ado about Nothing. She is cousin to Hero, and also a close friend, however, she and Hero are very much dissimilar, as Hero is a gentle and quiet young woman. She has a very sarcastic and joking nature. We can tell a lot from her first line. She says, ‘I pray you, is Signor Montanto returned from the wars or no?’ The pun used tells us that she has a wit and a joking manner. Also, we soon find out that she is talking about Benedick, therefore, giving us a hint that he is constantly on her mind, and foreshadowing the marriage at the end. She soon after says, ‘He set up his bills here in Messina and challenged Cupid at the flight, and my uncle’s Fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid and challenged him at the bird-bolt. I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he killed? For indeed I promised to eat all of his killing.’ In the previous lines, the conversation was on Benedick’s bravery, however, she is implying that he is not brave. This, again, adding to the first line, implies that she dislikes, or disagrees with Benedick. Although she seems quite hard and sharp, she also has a soft side. After hearing Hero talk about Benedick being in love with Beatrice, she then opens up about her feelings, much contrast to her previous self. Beatrice’s soliloquy (identify 1 dramatic device) in act 3 scene 1 (where it is in the play) occurs immediately after she hears that Benedick is inShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing1204 Words   |  5 PagesI will be considering the role of the villain in Much Ado About Nothing, and will conduct rhetorical analyses that will proceed to view the perspective of the villain and his or her intentions. Much Ado About Nothing written by William Shakespeare intending this play to be a comedy. Although it is hard to comprehend the comedy within the play. The characters within thi s play are all linked together by having a relationship that looks like a telephone wire game. The characters dilemma develops anRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing2083 Words   |  9 Pagesin the end, there are millions of ways that each individual defines love according to their experiences. One individual in particular is Shakespeare, who is widely known for expressing the significance of love in various plays of his, as he portrays several branches of love such as friendship, parental love, and romantic love. In Much Ado about Nothing, Shakespeare demonstrates the ways in which Claudio and Hero’s love shows the triumph of imagination over intelligence compared to Benedick and Beatrice’sRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing898 Words   |  4 PagesBeatrice, Benedick, and Love in Much Ado About Nothing William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is set in thirteenth century Italy. The plot of the play can be categorized as comedy or tragicomedy . Villainy and scheming combine with humor and sparkling wordplay in Shakespeare s comedy of manners. Claudio is deceived into believing that Hero, is unfaithful. Meanwhile, Benedick and Beatrice have a kind of merry war between them, matching wits in repartee. This paper will attempt toRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing1317 Words   |  6 PagesMuch to Do About Noting Deceit is the act of concealing or misrepresenting the truth. Deceit plays an important role in the plot of Shakespeare’s play Much Ado about Nothing. It also has a large influence on the relationships of the play. Much Ado about Nothing is a play written by William Shakespeare who is widely considered the greatest dramatist of all time. William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. From roughly 1594 onward he was an important memberRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing3289 Words   |  14 PagesSection One Title Analysis: As an author, William Shakespeare had titles ranging from the light at heart and ethereal to the rigid and formal. The title, Much Ado About Nothing, is one such title that fits very neatly into his light at heart category. However this doesn t mean that the title doesn t reflect the story as in Shakespeare s other plays. His light at heart stories have titles that are just as reflective as his more serious titles. The title is an obvious indicator of the story thatRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing1516 Words   |  7 Pages Danielle Silfies An Issue of Deception and Morality In William Shakespeare s play Much Ado About Nothing, many characters lack moral values and use deception as a tool to get a conclusion that they desire. Deceit is a concept that most of the characters experience in some form throughout the play. It is used to get Benedick and Beatrice to realize their feeling of love and admiration for each other. It is also used to pull characters like Claudio and Hero apart multiple times. Deceit is usedRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing And Hamlet1503 Words   |  7 Pagesthoughts, well-being, actions, and interactions with the other set roles. William Shakespeare’s plays included dissimilar characters and different methods of characterization. The two plays that will be compared and contrasted are William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet. As for the characters from each play, Beatrice, Benedict, Don John, Don Pedro, Claudio, and Hero will be assessed from Much Ado About Nothing and from Haml et, Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius, Laertes, and OpheliaRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing768 Words   |  4 Pagesshares many similarities with the production from Shakespeare’s time, however they markedly differ. There are indeed many differences, for example, language, gender roles, and venue. These differences would change the retelling of Much Ado About Nothing in Shakespeare times because of its modern production. First, language absolutely would have played a vital role in Shakespeare’s time. Today Shakespeare’s words have massively changed and lost its meaning in modern retelling theatre. The pronunciationRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing3544 Words   |  15 PagesWhen examining the plays written by Shakespeare there are many instances where the common theme of marriage is shows. In the times of the 1600’s the ceremony of marriage was very common and done in a very orderly and strict fashion. In those time there was no aspects of a genuine love and heart felt marriage but instead they were seen as an agreement between the two parties. In many of the works of Shakespeare many characters deal with the issue of marriage and you begin to see the toll if had onRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing Essay1971 Words   |  8 PagesTransition in Much Ado About Nothing William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, a comedy filled with differences between genders, witty banter between memorable characters Benedick and Beatrice, a plot of revenge that involves one character faking her death and let’s not forget the masquerade marriage that comes to readers at the end. Much Ado About Nothing, court politics while still maintain a profound amount of humor and wit. However, it is the honor and shame that is prominent in Much Ado About Nothing