CMY3705 Assignment 1
Semester 2 Memo
(COMPLETE ANSWERS)
Due 12 September 2025
For assistance contact
Email:
, The Imperative Shift: From Theory and Policy to Practice in South African Victimology
South African Victimology stands at a crossroads. There is a fertile theoretical and
policy environment, but it is widely accepted that there is an accepted gap between
these good intentions on paper and their practicable implementation. The proposition that
Victimology must move from being predominantly theoretical and policy-based to practice-
based is not an intellectual one; it is a social and moral imperative. This essay will argue
that in seeking to close this gap there must be a deliberate focus on victim-centred
research driving legislative and policy change, and an ongoing effort of researchers and
practitioners seeking collaboration to provide expert-informed services to victims of crime.
South Africa has, theoretically at least, adopted a progressive approach to victim support.
The policy and legal context of the state is informed by an understanding of the rights of
victims, most often utilizing international human rights frameworks. Key legislative and policy
instruments, such as the Charter on the Rights of Victims of Crime in South Africa (2004)
and provisions embodied in the Criminal Procedure Act (Act 51 of 1977), set out clear
rights of victims, including the right to dignity treatment and compassion, the
right to information, and the right to assistance. These reports are robust in
their ideal, presenting a complete vision of a victim-centered criminal justice system. However,
the theoretical robustness of these policies is seldom able to find themselves reflected in an
actual, useful world for victims navigating the system.
The disconnect comes from a series of failures
and pragmatism challenges within the system. On the ground, policy is unevenly implemented an
d under-resourced. Police stations, which would usually be the first point of contact for
victims, have no trained staff, special buildings, or budgetary provision for the provision
of services as stipulated in the Victims Charter. To add to this, the criminal justice
system is fundamentally offender-oriented and focuses solely on the arrest, prosecution,
and punishment of the offender, positioning the victim as a witness rather
than an integral part of the process. This institutional delay and lack of systemic, inter-agency
approach to victim support lead to the process from crime reporting through to justice and
psychosocial support being, at times, a re-traumatising one for the victim.
For truly to overcome this implementation deficit, Victimology in South Africa must become
more ingrained in the day-to-day life of victims.
The law and policy as they currently exist are benevolent but possibly based
on assumption rather than fact regarding victim needs. Therefore, conducting systematic and
rigorous research on crime victims is not an extra step; it is essential to effect meaningful
change. Qualitative research can provide a nuanced insight into victims' emotional,
psychological, and functional needs at different stages across the criminal justice system.
Quantitative research can demonstrate trends, reveal systemic failures, and provide the hard
data that is needed to present a policy reform case. By giving the victims a voice through
research, we can move beyond theoretical abstractions to fact-based policies that
are actually attuned to their reality.
Semester 2 Memo
(COMPLETE ANSWERS)
Due 12 September 2025
For assistance contact
Email:
, The Imperative Shift: From Theory and Policy to Practice in South African Victimology
South African Victimology stands at a crossroads. There is a fertile theoretical and
policy environment, but it is widely accepted that there is an accepted gap between
these good intentions on paper and their practicable implementation. The proposition that
Victimology must move from being predominantly theoretical and policy-based to practice-
based is not an intellectual one; it is a social and moral imperative. This essay will argue
that in seeking to close this gap there must be a deliberate focus on victim-centred
research driving legislative and policy change, and an ongoing effort of researchers and
practitioners seeking collaboration to provide expert-informed services to victims of crime.
South Africa has, theoretically at least, adopted a progressive approach to victim support.
The policy and legal context of the state is informed by an understanding of the rights of
victims, most often utilizing international human rights frameworks. Key legislative and policy
instruments, such as the Charter on the Rights of Victims of Crime in South Africa (2004)
and provisions embodied in the Criminal Procedure Act (Act 51 of 1977), set out clear
rights of victims, including the right to dignity treatment and compassion, the
right to information, and the right to assistance. These reports are robust in
their ideal, presenting a complete vision of a victim-centered criminal justice system. However,
the theoretical robustness of these policies is seldom able to find themselves reflected in an
actual, useful world for victims navigating the system.
The disconnect comes from a series of failures
and pragmatism challenges within the system. On the ground, policy is unevenly implemented an
d under-resourced. Police stations, which would usually be the first point of contact for
victims, have no trained staff, special buildings, or budgetary provision for the provision
of services as stipulated in the Victims Charter. To add to this, the criminal justice
system is fundamentally offender-oriented and focuses solely on the arrest, prosecution,
and punishment of the offender, positioning the victim as a witness rather
than an integral part of the process. This institutional delay and lack of systemic, inter-agency
approach to victim support lead to the process from crime reporting through to justice and
psychosocial support being, at times, a re-traumatising one for the victim.
For truly to overcome this implementation deficit, Victimology in South Africa must become
more ingrained in the day-to-day life of victims.
The law and policy as they currently exist are benevolent but possibly based
on assumption rather than fact regarding victim needs. Therefore, conducting systematic and
rigorous research on crime victims is not an extra step; it is essential to effect meaningful
change. Qualitative research can provide a nuanced insight into victims' emotional,
psychological, and functional needs at different stages across the criminal justice system.
Quantitative research can demonstrate trends, reveal systemic failures, and provide the hard
data that is needed to present a policy reform case. By giving the victims a voice through
research, we can move beyond theoretical abstractions to fact-based policies that
are actually attuned to their reality.
