Victim Personal Statements: A Review of Empirical Research
Victim Personal Statements at Sentencing: A Review of the Empirical Research (London: Office of the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses of England and Wales, 2011)
51 Pages Posted: 7 Sep 2017
Date Written: October 4, 2011
Abstract
The research we have reviewed has been generally favourable to the Victim Personal Statements (VPS) scheme. Although only a minority of victims submit a statement, of those who do, most of those who do appear to benefit from the experience, and express a desire to submit a statement in the future. At the same time, VPS do not seem to make sentencing harsher across the board, and their use is generally supported by legal professionals. Judges and magistrates in different jurisdictions report finding victim impact statements useful in determining sentence.
Keywords: Victim personal statements; victims; sentencing
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation