CMY3705
ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE DATE: 7 APRIL 2026
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
1. Introduction........................................................ 1
2. Definition of Key Concepts................................... 2
3. Victim Impact and Harm...................................... 3
4. Victims' Needs and Rights in Practice................... 6
5. Secondary Victimisation........................................ 8
6. Victim Participation Beyond Sentencing................. 10
7. Victim's Agency and Meaning-Making.................... 11
8. Conclusion........................................................... 12
9. List of References................................................ 13
1
, 1. Introduction
The emergence of victimology as a distinct field within criminology has gradually shifted
the criminal justice system's focus from an exclusively offender-centred approach to one
that recognises the profound impact of crime on those who suffer directly from
victimisation (CMY3705 Study Guide, p. 7). Historically, victims of crime were
marginalised or even ignored by the criminal justice system, and their suffering received
little acknowledgment within legal proceedings (Walklate, 2007, p. 23). This
marginalisation contributed to what scholars have termed secondary victimisation,
where victims experience additional trauma through their interactions with the very
institutions designed to provide justice and protection (CMY3705 Study Guide, p. 10).
The victim impact statement (VIS) emerged as a mechanism to address this gap,
providing victims with a formal opportunity to communicate the physical, psychological,
social and financial consequences of crime to the court before sentencing. The South
African Law Commission (2002, p. 68) defines the VIS as "a written statement by the
victim or someone authorised by the Act to make a statement on behalf of the victim
which reflects the impact of the offence, including the physical, psychological, social and
financial consequences of the offence for the victim." This piece explains how victim
impact statements are used in South African courts during sentencing. It also looks at
whether victims and their families are able to clearly express how the crime has affected
them in a way that helps judges make fair decisions. The discussion includes the impact
of crime on victims, their needs and rights, the risk of being harmed again through the
legal process, their involvement beyond sentencing, and how they make sense of their
experiences.
2
ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE DATE: 7 APRIL 2026
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
1. Introduction........................................................ 1
2. Definition of Key Concepts................................... 2
3. Victim Impact and Harm...................................... 3
4. Victims' Needs and Rights in Practice................... 6
5. Secondary Victimisation........................................ 8
6. Victim Participation Beyond Sentencing................. 10
7. Victim's Agency and Meaning-Making.................... 11
8. Conclusion........................................................... 12
9. List of References................................................ 13
1
, 1. Introduction
The emergence of victimology as a distinct field within criminology has gradually shifted
the criminal justice system's focus from an exclusively offender-centred approach to one
that recognises the profound impact of crime on those who suffer directly from
victimisation (CMY3705 Study Guide, p. 7). Historically, victims of crime were
marginalised or even ignored by the criminal justice system, and their suffering received
little acknowledgment within legal proceedings (Walklate, 2007, p. 23). This
marginalisation contributed to what scholars have termed secondary victimisation,
where victims experience additional trauma through their interactions with the very
institutions designed to provide justice and protection (CMY3705 Study Guide, p. 10).
The victim impact statement (VIS) emerged as a mechanism to address this gap,
providing victims with a formal opportunity to communicate the physical, psychological,
social and financial consequences of crime to the court before sentencing. The South
African Law Commission (2002, p. 68) defines the VIS as "a written statement by the
victim or someone authorised by the Act to make a statement on behalf of the victim
which reflects the impact of the offence, including the physical, psychological, social and
financial consequences of the offence for the victim." This piece explains how victim
impact statements are used in South African courts during sentencing. It also looks at
whether victims and their families are able to clearly express how the crime has affected
them in a way that helps judges make fair decisions. The discussion includes the impact
of crime on victims, their needs and rights, the risk of being harmed again through the
legal process, their involvement beyond sentencing, and how they make sense of their
experiences.
2
