Reparation Bill Will Put Victims First

Labour Party Courts spokesperson Rick Barker has drafted a Member’s Bill that will put the interests of the victim first by placing the onus on offenders to pay reparation in full and up-front.

“This will reverse the situation we have now, where the victim of the crime is often victimised twice by being forced to become a default creditor for the perpetrator of the crime,” Rick Barker said.

“What happens is that offenders usually enter into an arrangement with the courts to pay off reparation over a period that suits themselves.

“This means they don’t have to raise credit to fund the reparation, or dip into their own resources to do so,” Rick Barker said.

“In the meantime, the victim, who has already been burgled, for example, has to buy replacements out of their own resources.

“The problem is often compounded whenever the offender subsequently defaults on payments or heads overseas.”

Rick Barker said he recognised there would be cases where offenders had no resources or could not raise credit.

“But that’s not the point. The point is to ensure that courts recognise that the victims of crime deserve to be treated with the greatest amount of consideration possible.

“Why should they have to pay out of their own resources while perpetrators are barely put out of pocket at all?”

Rick Barker’s Bill will become part of the ballot for Member’s Bills.

ENDS

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