Victim Personal Statements And Sentencing

By Elspeth Windsor and Julian V. Roberts

This report describes the current status of the Victim Personal Statement (VPS) in England and Wales and draws upon a review of research with a focus on the period 2010-2020.

The shortage of recent research means that the review occasionally draws upon findings from other jurisdictions.

The focus is upon the role of these statements at sentencing rather than other stages in the criminal process.1

Most common law jurisdictions operate some form of victim input regime, usually in the form of a Victim Impact Statement (VIS), or VPS in this jurisdiction. This year (2020) marks the 20-year anniversary of the first VPS pilot schemes.

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