CHENNAI: An appeal to victimologists to have a re-look at the country's criminal justice system from the point of view of justice to victims of crime was made by V.S. Malimath, former Chief Justice of Karnataka and former Member of the National Human Rights Commission.

"The system which we have evolved and is operating does not seem to be adequately sensitive to the plight of victims," he said in his valedictory address at the three-day Second International and Sixth Biennial conference of the Indian Society of Victimology (ISV) here.

Crimes were on the increase all over the world and new types of crimes involving increased brutality were happening.

Several criminals went unpunished. Crime had become a profitable business because the risk factor was low.

The nexus between criminals and politicians contributed to making problems of victims of crime more serious. Whether the existing criminal justice system was adequate to effectively tackle the problems had not been examined. As a result, the number of victims was increasing and they were crying for justice. "Nobody cares for victims."

Dr. Malimath explained that the present criminal justice system was heavily loaded in fine-tuning the rights of the accused. Hardly was there a sympathetic look at the plight of victims.

The justice system was at present accused-oriented. There was no participation of victims in trial. Some of the basic principles in the criminal justice system also need a relook."We have the system where the best evidence is kept out."

He stressed the need to change the focus of the system so that it would become victim-oriented.

"The primary concern of victimologists is to answer the cry of victims for justice."

Human trafficking

D. Mukherjee, Director-General of Police, said a close look at the legal framework would reveal that except in the area of compensation there was very little to address the entire range of problems faced by victims. Some of the areas, which required immediate attention included victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, road accidents which were clear cases of recklessness and the perpetrators were society as a whole, and victims of commercial propaganda.

Victim-friendly police

K. Chockalingam, president, ISV, who presided, said the criminal justice system should change itself to serve victims of crime.

A victim-friendly police was the first step required in recognising the rights of victims.

R.K. Raghavan, chairman, organising committee and president-elect of the society, said a wide spectrum of subjects, including victims' rights and legislations and victims of organised crime, was discussed at the conference.

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