Victim’s Advocate Roles and Forensic Healthcare Professionals Roles
Victim’s Advocate Roles and Forensic Healthcare Professionals Roles
Victim’s advocates is a trained personnel mandated to support crime victims. Victims’ advocates have the mandate to enlighten the victim on legal procedures, rights as well as offers moral support throughout the legal proceedings (The National Center for Victims of Crime, 2008). On the other hand, forensic healthcare professionals have a role of collecting evidence to find out the truth of the crime (McEvoy & McConnachie, 2013). They also act as a link between the health sector and the criminal judicial system.
Emergency room personnel need to certainly understand basics of how they can effectively work with victims of crime. First, the personnel needs to know that, most crime victims are emotionally drained and insecure. Thus, the staff should introduce themselves in details making sure they ascertain that they are there to help the victim. The personnel should also cultivate an environment that encourages the victims to share their stories. The clients should also be given a chance to unleash their story uninterrupted (Maguire, Morgan & Reiner, 2012). By sharing their story, the victims can reduce emotional and mental stress thus aiding in the overall recovery. Moreover, the ED personnel needs to assure the victim that justice will be served, and perpetrators will be punished accordingly. Finally, the staff should make sure the victims are knowledgeable about their rights.
The victims should fully understand their rights, which includes but not limited to: first, right to be protected from the suspect. The right to adequate notice prior court proceedings (Maguire, Morgan & Reiner, 2012). If there is a possibility of alteration of evidence from hearing other testimonies, the victim has a right to excluded from the proceedings. The right to be heard exclusively in the court of law, the right to reparation from the perpetrator. A right for proceedings free of undue delays. The victim also has a right to be treated fairly and in an acceptable way (Maguire, Morgan & Reiner, 2012). Finally, the victim has a right to congress with an attorney. The office of the victim crimes also offers a helping hand to the victims: it ensures the victims receive a standard treatment.
References
Maguire, M., Morgan, R., & Reiner, R. (2012). The Oxford handbook of criminology. Oxford
McEvoy, K., &McConnachie, K. (2013). Victims and Transitional Justice Voice, Agency and
Blame. Social & Legal Studies, 22(4), 489-513.
The National Center for Victims of Crime. (2008). what is a victim advocate? Retrieved from https://victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crime-victims/get-help-bulletins-for-crime-victims/what-is-a-victim-advocate-
