Abstract: This paper describes restorative justice training courses the author delivered in Serbia and Montenegro in the period 2003-2006, set in the context of the post-conflict situation, and reflects on the intercultural elements added to this course. The author also makes reference to recent work on hate crime and restorative justice in the UK as an extreme example of intercultural conflict. The final two sections discuss the potential of the arts in providing an extra (non-verbal) tool in this work, using as examples two courses the author ran in Serbia.

Abstract: The tragic accidental death of Nils Christie was a huge loss to the scholarly worlds of criminology and victimology. An old dear friend and highly esteemed colleague, Christie has been hailed as one of the most innovative criminological thinkers of the 20th century. He left an outlasting legacy to both criminology and victimology. His contributions are characterized by their creativity, their originality and their clarity. To remedy what he saw as a terrible injustice done to crime victims he outlined a court procedure that restores the participants’ right to their own conflict, a procedure that provided the theoretical underpinnings of the restorative justice movement. He drew attention to the fact that victimization is not an objectively defined phenomenon but is a personal, relative and highly subjective experience. He insisted that mental images of those subjected to the same victimizing act could be and usually are quite varied. Criminology and victimology owe much to Nils Christie. The present article briefly highlights just a few of his significant contributions.

Abstract: This article focuses on the key role and contribution of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in protecting the rights of Roma against systemic patterns of violence and discrimination. It investigates the suitability of individual applications in front of international monitoring organs as a litigation strategy to address structural problems emerging at the national level, such as widespread attacks against members of vulnerable minority groups, and puts forward that this strategy has demonstrated to be successful in the case of Roma. The analysis shows that complaints introduced before the ECHR have at the same time helped in providing redress to individual victims, uncovering patterns of systemic abuses, offering solutions to prevent their resurgence, effectively encouraging the adoption of protective measures domestically, and developing the competences of international supervisory mechanisms. As such, it constitutes the most effective avenue so far to right those societal wrongs.

Abstract: Nils Christie’s contribution to criminology and victimology has been profound. This article traces the roots of contemporary concerns with critical and cultural victimology to his work. Alongside this his insightful comments on public criminology also have some resonance with current victimological pre-occupations. It is evident from this analysis that without his voice some of the contemporary concerns of critically informed and engaged victimology would be absent, for which we owe him a huge debt.

Abstract: For effective victim-focused legislation, evidence-based knowledge is essential, thus making criminological research of great importance. Victimization surveys represent a globally recognized type of criminological investigation. Although they are primarily focused on measuring the dark figure of crime, they can also provide a broad spectrum of information on victimization-related issues. The latest victimization survey was carried out in the Czech Republic by the Institute of Criminology and Social Prevention in 2013. Through face to face interviews, victimization was explored through eight selected offences in the period of 12 months prior the survey. The representative sample included 3000 respondents 15 years of age and older. The next round is planned for 2017. Since 2013, a new Act no. 45/2013 Coll., on Victims of Crime has come into effect in the Czech Republic. This paper will discuss how victimization surveys can enrich the knowledge on victimization-related issues and how they can help in the evaluation of criminal policy.

Abstract: This article examines the media coverage of violence against women in the family and in an intimate partner relationship in Serbia. The goal of this article is to point to the potential that implementing the relevant state policies might have on the quality of the media coverage, by analysing the effects of state policies on the media coverage of violence against women in the family and in an intimate partner relationship. This study utilizes quantitative content analysis and qualitative framing analysis on a sample of 330 articles of Serbian daily newspapers Blic, Kurir and Politika in two time periods (three months in 2006 and three months in 2013). The results of the quantitative content analysis show a significant increase in the number of articles containing information on statistics, services for victims and expert sources. Qualitative framing analysis points to the conclusion that the nature of the media frame has not meaningfully changed. Namely, under the pressure of editors, journalists continue with framing violence against women in a stereotyped fashion which reflects the suppressed position of women in the Serbian society.

Abstract: This article aims to analyze the categorization of victims by several victimological schools and to compare that to the categorization in the Criminal Procedure Code of Macedonia (CPC). The first part of this article analyzes different theoretical categories of victims, taking into consideration approaches of representatives of positivist, conservative, radical and critical victimology. A parallel is drawn between theoretical and legislative categorization of victims. Many countries have reformed their criminal legislation providing certain rights to the victim of crime. The second part of the article discusses the categorization of the victims within the CPC of Macedonia. Categorization of the victims is linked to their separate rights guaranteed by law. The article draws certain conclusions and recommendations regarding the categorization of victims and their specific rights. The importance of effective implementation of the guaranteed rights for the victim is especially emphasized.

Abstract: This article first discusses the key concepts of Nils Christie’s victimological-oriented work drawn from “Conflicts as property” (1977) and “The ideal victim” (1986). Using international criminal justice as an example, it demonstrates the enduring importance of Christie’s insights to victimology. Subsequently the paper offers a three-fold critique of Christie’s work. First, the stereotype of the ideal victim is confronted with the bodies of literature on the justice motive and the phenomenon of framing. Second, Christie’s views on the role of the state in “Conflicts as Property” are discussed against the backdrop of libertarian and communitarian theories of political philosophy. Third, the notion that ‘crime does not exist’ is rebutted using a victimological perspective.