The Victims Bill of Rights merely lists a series of guidelines that those in the criminal justice system should take into account, as they see fit. It does not compel them to do so.
The vast majority of people with mental illness pose no risk of violence to others. But is there a link between mental illness and violent crime?
A Toronto police officer adjusts police tape at the scene of a quadruple shooting in downtown Toronto in September 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
There are proven ways to significantly reduce violent crime within the next five years. It requires becoming not “tough on crime,” but “smart on crime” before it happens.
South Africa’s defence force has been in decline for some time as its budget has shrunk while its duties have changed.
(R to L) Police minister Bheki Cele, President Cyril Ramaphosa and Fannie Masemola, the head of police, at the 2022 South African Police Service Commemoration Day.
GCIS
Government departments, civil society groups and the private sector should pool resources and work together in a co-ordinated manner to prevent violent crime.
The Crime Severity Index is calculated like a crime rate, but different crimes are given a different weight, or importance, based on their severity.
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Recent data from Statistics Canada shows crime rates in Canada rising. Crime has become a hot-button political issue in Canadian cities. But what does the data actually mean?
Crimestoppers provides a link between the public and the police.
Katie Stewart/Alamy
Crimestoppers was originally founded in 1988 and now receives more than half a million reports each year.
Antonio Magalhaes holds his wife Andrea Magalhaes as they walk towards Keele Station, where their 16-year-old son, Gabriel Magalhaes, was killed in a random attack in the Toronto subway system.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin
Andrea Magalhaes hasn’t demanded vengeance since her son was murdered — she’s called for expanding the social safety net to address the root causes of crime. Public officials should listen to her.
Two deadly mass shootings have California on edge.
AP Photo/Jae C. Hon
Eight teen girls are charged in the stabbing death of a homeless man in Toronto. Research shows that jurors tend to respond when the perpetrator of a crime is or appears to be younger.
Only about 1 in 3 LGBTQ victims of violent hate crimes seek professional help for mental health issues that emerge after an attack.
Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images
Sam Uffindell experienced a form of forgiveness after assaulting a younger schoolboy 22 years ago. But this should be the norm under NZ’s child justice system, which is overdue for reform.
Many mass shooters show signs of distress before their attack.
Smederevac via iStock/Getty Images Plus
When young people plan a mass shooting, especially at a school, they typically reveal their plans in advance. Two scholars weigh in on whether the warning signs are being heeded in the right way.
Residents fleeing their homes in Plateau State, north central Nigeria, on April 12, 2022 after their houses were burnt during an attack by bandits.
AFP via GettyImages
Violent crime causes untold harm and anger is known to fuel violence. But recent research suggests that the way anger and crime tie together in youth is a bit more complicated than expected.