For the first time in India, an university will offer courses in victimology for law enforcement officials, obliging a UN declaration which mandates change in focus from “offenders to victims”. The courses in victimology and victim assistance would be offered by Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu for members of police, judiciary, legislature and others working for victims of crimes and disasters.
The university will be offering a six-month PG diploma course as well as a 21-day certificate course.
The courses starting this December were in line with the 1985 UN Declaration of the Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power, ratified by the Indian government, Registrar of the University P Chellathurai, told PTI.
Beula Sekhar, faculty in the department of criminology and criminal justice at the university said discussions were on with the Bureau of Police Research and Development on making the course a part of police training.
President of Indian Society of Victimology and former CBI director, R K Raghavan, said the programme was a “positive step forward” in making the justice rendering agencies “more sensitive”.
“There are not enough training inputs early in the career of police personnel which would make them victim-oriented. This is why you hear of frequent complaints of police rudeness and apathy towards victims,” Raghavan said. “The proposed programme is an imaginative step that will pay dividends in future,” he said.
According to Sekhar, the world nations have started laying more emphasis on “restorative justice” which aims at repairing the damage caused to the victims of crime, individually and as a community. “Victims not only face personal and material losses, they also suffer from emotional shock and physical disorders,” Sekhar said.
The emotional shock often goes unrecognised and the victims are never reconciled to their victimisation as they do not receive any therapy.
Economic stress due to medical expenses, loss of employment, job changes, emotional and time burdens imposed by investigations and court procedures and unnecessary press coverage make the victim suffer even after the crime.
As per the UN declaration, the member nations should adequately educate and train members of police, judicial, medical and social welfare institutions on addressing victims’ needs. Systems allowing prompt judicial and administrative proceedings also should be put in place.
The focus will be more on the victim and this new approach towards crime would respect the dignity and equality of each person, build understanding and promote social harmony through healing of victims, offenders and communities. This will also prevent forming of new criminals.
The approach would enable those affected by crime to share openly their feelings and experiences, she said.
Apart from showing compassion and respect to victims, it was necessary to provide them with information about their role in court proceedings and on the progress and results of such proceedings. Victims should be given access to necessary physical, medical, emotional, and social support and also to information on how to receive such support, according to the declaration.
According to Sekhar, in India there are no specific laws as yet for the victims. The draft bill on the subject submitted to Government in 1995 by the Indian Society of Victimology provides a tentative framework for consideration. Raghavan hoped there will be enough pressure on legislators in the coming years to bring in necessary legislation in this respect. “Viewed against this, the proposed diploma programme assumes significance,” he said.
