How do the victim compensation programs in France and Australia differ from each other? How are they similar?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

France has a long history of providing victims with financial restitution. Victims of crime who are either French nationals or citizens of the European Union are able to apply for state-sponsored compensation by bringing their case before an independent tribunal. The amount of compensation that victims are capable of receiving depends on the seriousness of the crime; with victims of seriously violent offenses being eligible for total reimbursement, while victims of less serious crimes, such as theft, only being eligible for partial reimbursement. France does not require victims to personally apply for victim compensation. Instead, police agencies are capable of applying on victims’ behalf. In Australia, each state/territory has passed legislation that provides victims with a host of fundamental rights that ensure that their information is kept confidential, that they are treated fairly by the criminal justice system and that the likelihood of secondary victimization is limited. Victims throughout Australia have the right to timely notification of available victim services, such as counseling, legal help, welfare, and medical care. They also have the right to be kept informed of the status of the criminal case against their attacker, including whether or not the offender has been caught, their name, the crime they are being charged with, and whether or not they have posted bail. Victims of violent crimes, such as those that involve death or physical bodily injury, are furthermore entitled to additional rights. Such victims, as well as the victims of non-violent crimes in some jurisdictions, are given the opportunity to sign up for the Victims Register; a database that allows victims to stay informed of an offender‘s status after they are incarcerated. France only provides financial compensation, where as in Australia, victims have certain rights afforded to them.