| The Centre for Child Forensic
Studies focuses its attention on all issues pertaining
to children who are witnesses in the legal system. Its
activities embrace research into these issues and the
dissemination of information to courts and professionals
working with the children, as well as the development
of programmes and tools that assist the children to testify
more effectively. The newly proposed Sexual Offences Bill
contains certain recommendations regarding changes to
the criminal justice system with the intention of encouraging
victims of sexual violence to approach the system for
assistance and to improve the experiences of those victims.
One of the recommendations includes the provision of Victim
Impact Statements to court to assist in the sentencing
process.
The Centre has undertaken a project in terms of which
it will use its expertise to write the necessary victim
impact statements for children, who have to testify,
monitor the reception of these statements in court and
develop the necessary guidelines so that this can be
implemented throughout the country.
The First Rand Foundation contributes extensively towards
this programme. |