, CMY3705 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE ANSWERS)
Semester 1 2026 - DUE 7 April 2026; 100% Correct
solutions and explanations.
2 ESSAYS PROVIDED
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Definition of Key Concepts
3. Victim Impact Statements in South African Sentencing Practice
4. Victim Impact and the Nature of Harm
5. Victims’ Needs and Rights in Practice
6. Secondary Victimisation in VIS Processes
7. Victim Participation Beyond Sentencing
8. Victim Agency and Meaning-Making
9. Critical Evaluation of VIS Implementation
10. Conclusion
11. List of References
1. INTRODUCTION
Victim Impact Statements (VIS) are an essential component of modern
victim-centred justice systems, intended to ensure that the lived experiences
of victims are acknowledged within criminal proceedings. In South Africa,
VIS are particularly significant due to the high prevalence of violent crime,
including assault, robbery, gender-based violence, and homicide, all of which
leave lasting psychological, emotional, and financial consequences.
The primary purpose of VIS is to provide victims and their families with an
opportunity to communicate how a crime has affected their lives. This allows
sentencing courts to move beyond a purely legalistic understanding of crime
and consider the human and social consequences of criminal conduct. In
principle, VIS contribute to restorative justice by acknowledging harm and
giving victims a voice in proceedings that often feel distant and procedural.
Semester 1 2026 - DUE 7 April 2026; 100% Correct
solutions and explanations.
2 ESSAYS PROVIDED
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Definition of Key Concepts
3. Victim Impact Statements in South African Sentencing Practice
4. Victim Impact and the Nature of Harm
5. Victims’ Needs and Rights in Practice
6. Secondary Victimisation in VIS Processes
7. Victim Participation Beyond Sentencing
8. Victim Agency and Meaning-Making
9. Critical Evaluation of VIS Implementation
10. Conclusion
11. List of References
1. INTRODUCTION
Victim Impact Statements (VIS) are an essential component of modern
victim-centred justice systems, intended to ensure that the lived experiences
of victims are acknowledged within criminal proceedings. In South Africa,
VIS are particularly significant due to the high prevalence of violent crime,
including assault, robbery, gender-based violence, and homicide, all of which
leave lasting psychological, emotional, and financial consequences.
The primary purpose of VIS is to provide victims and their families with an
opportunity to communicate how a crime has affected their lives. This allows
sentencing courts to move beyond a purely legalistic understanding of crime
and consider the human and social consequences of criminal conduct. In
principle, VIS contribute to restorative justice by acknowledging harm and
giving victims a voice in proceedings that often feel distant and procedural.
