Description
Crime victims have gained a stronger position in all phases of the criminal procedure, including the post-sentencing phase. It is in this phase specifically that victims’ needs and interests relating to acknowledgement interplay with the offenders’ needs and interests relating to resocialization. In the Netherlands dangerous offenders who suffer from a mental disorder at the time of the offence can be placed in a forensic psychiatric hospital to prevent further crimes and receive treatment aimed at resocialization. As resocialization requires the offender to return to society, contact with the victim might be a necessary step. However, the forensic psychiatric population is a-typical compared to offenders without a mental disorder. Their disorders can heighten the risks of unsuccessful or even counterproductive victim-offender contact. Yet, carefully executed victim-offender contact that includes thorough preparation, managing expectations and choosing the right type of contact can contribute to both successful resocialization as well as victim acknowledgement. In this presentation risks and opportunities of victim-offender contact in a forensic psychiatric context are described.| Period | 7 Jul 2022 |
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| Event title | 37th International Congress on Law and Mental Health |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Lyon, FranceShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |