Meeting the Needs of Burglary Victims: Questions for the Police and the Criminal Justice System

It is fast becoming a cliché to say that more should be done to help the victims of crime. In the light of recent research it would be difficult to contest the general statement that the rights and feelings of victims have been badly neglected by the criminal justice system and that such neglect can produce a harmful sense of grievance and alienation. Yet there is still a surprising shortage of detailed knowledge, not only about the effects that different crimes have upon victims’ lives but also about what victims themselves need, want, and expect from society in response to their misfortune. Moreover, it is by no means generally agreed whose primary responsibility this response should be, and even within organisations with a firm desire to help, there remain all kinds of practical obstacles to the provision of an effective service.