Since the 1970s there has been increased efforts by the international community to encourage both governmental and non-governmental actors to increase the visibility and role played by victims in three key areas: support and assistance to victims of terrorism (e.g., legal, financial, psychological); the role of victims before, during and after legal proceedings; and the role of victims in countering the appeal of terrorism by providing an important counter-narrative. This Module focuses primarily on the first limb, together with some aspects associated with the second limb; the third limb is touched upon in Module 2 on preventing/countering violent extremism.
This Module begins by examining the concept of a victim, both in terms of its legal meaning as well as through the lens of trauma and victimology. Particular attention is paid to the impacts and effects of terrorism on victims. The notion of justice is then considered from the perspective of victims and the needs that arise in the aftermath of violations. It then examines the legal frameworks governing the provision of remedies for victims, especially from international and regional human rights and criminal justice perspectives. This includes discussion about national assistance schemes for victims. The Module then considers some key challenges which can hinder or prevent victims for achieving justice and securing reparation.
The sub-pages to this section provide a descriptive overview of the key issues that lecturers might want to cover with their students when teaching on this topic.
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