Is restorative justice suited for gender-based violence?

from Sylvia Clute's article on Genuine Justice:

Feminists have long decried the deficiencies in the traditional criminal law system when it comes to gender-based violence. The criminal law system fails victims, offenders and the community; there are no winners. Most cases are never reported, and the reported cases have a high attrition rate. Few cases are actually prosecuted.

According to Melanie Randall, a law professor with expertise in legal remedies for gender violence, the needs of the victim are diametrically opposed to the needs of the criminal law system. That system is driven by complex rules; it challenges the victim’s credibility; she has no control; she must tell the state’s story instead of a coherent narrative around what happened to her. There is no protection against recall, and there is no safe face to face confrontation.

Jul 26, 2011 Practice, Victim, Case:Sexual, Policy, Case:Domestic Violence

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Victims abused then denied care: 8 states allow practice

by Lisa Rea

After reading the news story on MSNBC I was astounded. The story tells of the denial of health care insurance to victims of domestic violence in the U.S.  This apparently has been going on for quite a while in the U.S. but most of us probably never heard about this appalling fact.   As the story reads, a 1994 survey conducted by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee found that 8 of 16  U.S. insurers denied coverage to applicants due to domestic violence. You'd think maybe we were talking about the offender (i.e. the abuser) being denied coverage but, no, we're talking about the victim of domestic violence. In the U.S. health insurance companies can deny coverage without explaining why that coverage is being denied.

Oct 14, 2009 Correspondent:Lisa Rea, Support, Victim, Case:Domestic Violence, Restitution

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