Rape Victims and their Rights

A 20–year–old girl accuses her ex–boyfriend of raping her in a drunken rage. However, the prosecutorstates that although he believes her story, there is simply not enough evidence to take the accused to trialand have a jury find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The victim turns to a voluntary organization dealing with rape victims. The organization has assigned you the task of providing her with the available options. You need to give her the following details:

• The legal rights of victims against perpetrators.
• The current research and prevalence of these types of crimes.
• The options available to the victim in the civil court.
• How victim advocacy programs work.
• Civil litigations for providing redress to victims.
• Positive and negative effects of civil litigation on the lives of the victim.

In addition, you need to explain the following:

• Define and explain the type of crime(s) committed.
• What is the need for creating a constitutional amendment that assures a certain level of victims’ rights in all courts? In this scenario, were the rights of the victim violated?
• Do we need to create an amendment to protect victims in this situation or are the victim’s rights already protected?
• What are some of the rights that could be guaranteed to the victim in this case?
• How would these rights affect or conflict with the rights of offenders in the system?
• What are the psychological and financial impacts for victims in this type of situation?

Submission Details

• Submit your answers in a 4–5 pages Microsoft Word document.
• Support your responses with examples.