Читать книгу Approaching Victimology as social science for Human rights a Spanish perspective - Gema Varona Martínez - Страница 11

Like in other countries, Victimology is a minor discipline in Spanish academia. Antonio Beristain (2000), a close friend of the Belgian Professor Tony Peters, another significant author in modern Victimology, is beyond doubt the most international author and pioneer in victimological studies in Spain and in many Latin American countries. Since his death in 2009 his works have remained among the most quoted in this field. Evolving from criminal law, Beristain argued for a ‘victim justice’ and a ‘recreative justice’ in the sense that justice should first aim at showing solidarity with the victims’ needs for recovery and reparation instead of punishing the offenders. Although he used criminal justice statistics and social surveys as secondary data, he focused more on theory rather than empirical research. Later authors like Myriam Herrera (1996; 2014), Noemi Pereda and Josep M. Tamarit (2013), Carolina Villacampa, Anabel Cerezo and Mar Gómez (2019), María Jesús Guardiola (2020), Helena Soleto (2019), Subijana (2006) and José Luis de la Cuesta (Varona et al., 2015; Varona, 2018) have contributed with significant works that incorporate theory and empirical findings. In any case, the predominant educational background of these authors is mainly criminal law, so it is not surprising that younger researchers coming from Psychology, classified now as a health science, have added a more quantitative vision of the discipline, particularly in developmental Victimology, in line with comparative research in Victimology worldwide (Pereda, 2016). Before them, Victimology from a general psychological standpoint had been promoted by Professor Enrique Echeburúa (Baca, Echeburúa and Tamarit, 2006).

Even if Victimology remains a minor discipline, its growing impact on Spanish policies and universities can be observed. Starting in the 1980s, court-based public services to support victims, periodic training for professionals in the criminal justice system, and specific legislation have been developed. Every November, since 2010, there is an international annual congress on Victimology in San Sebastián, in honour of Professor Beristain, organised by the Basque Institute of Criminology5. Victimology is studied as part of the criminology undergraduate studies at universities in Spain. Specialisation postgraduate studies and Masters are offered as well. There are important scientific societies of Victimology in Spain, with links with the World Society of Victimology (WSV), that have made joint efforts to create the above mentioned Revista de Victimología/Journal of Victimology6, both in Spanish and in English. Some Spanish researchers belong to the group on Victimology of the Spanish Society of Criminological Research and the European group on Victimology, within the European Society of Criminology, and publish their work in relevant international reviews and collections.

The Basque Society of Victimology (BSV) is a scientific non-profit organization, founded in 2005 in Donostia-San Sebastián (Basque Country, Spain). It is a member of the WSV. As can be read in its website7, it aims to promote victimological knowledge in society in order to contribute to the human rights and wellbeing of victims, particularly those unseen or discarded by society. Its first president was Prof. Enrique Echeburúa. Prof. Antonio Beristain was named an honorary member. With a strong connection to the Basque Institute of Criminology (IVAC-KREI), members of the Basque Society of Victimology are mainly professors, researchers, professionals and practitioners in the field of victimological research, victims’ rights and assistance.

The collaboration between the IVAC-KREI and the BSV has also promoted:

a) An innovative audio-visual Dictionary on Victimology (in Basque, Spanish and English)8.

b) Dialogue circles among different professionals, practitioners and victims of different crimes, within the activities of the Restorative Justice Theory and Practice Lab of the IVAC/KREI9.

c) Various research projects financed by the Human Rights Unit of the Basque Government on victims of terrorism and the Justice Department of the Basque Government.

d) Training for students, police, magistrates, lawyers, forensic medicine specialists and the personnel of the public services for victims in the administration of justice. These public services belong to the Justice Department of the Basque Country and have been pioneers in the assistance to victims in Spain. Its experience had a great influence in the drafting of the Statue for Victims of Crime, transposing the European Union Directive 29/2012 on victims’ rights. The BSV and the IVAC/KREI have also collaborated in the Protocol of good practices with victims.

e) International congresses and seminars, for example, the Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology (Bilbao, 2012), the European Congress of Restorative Justice (Donostia-San Sebastian, 2016) with GEMME (European Association of Magistrates for Mediation) and the International Symposium of Victimology (Donostia/San Sebastián, 2022).

f) Collaboration in seminars and evaluation of projects in the field of victims’ rights and human rights in general with the municipality of Donostia-San Sebastián. Being the European Union Capital of Culture 2016, the city had the opportunity to turn the focus on culture and dialogue as the roads towards improved coexistence10. Being the Basque city most affected by ETA terrorism in terms of mortal victims, the municipality, the university and other agencies and institutions worked (and continue working) on reparation and reconciliation, in innovative ways, meeting international standards. One of the key programs of the European Capital of Culture 2016 was the “Lighthouse of Peace”.

Table 1: Selection of key works in the development of Victimology in Spain

HISTORY AND CONTRIBUTION OF THE SPANISH GENERAL VICTIMOLOGICAL LITERATURE

On the history of Victimology (the academic study of victims) in Spain, the first professor who wrote about Victimology was Professor Antonio Beristain (Director of the Basque Institute of Criminology, University of the Basque Country). He participated in the first International Symposiums of the World Society of Victimology (1973). Currently the key academicians come from the field of Law and Psychology in multiple universities all over Spain, among others, Enrique Echeburúa and José Luis de la Cuesta (University of the Basque Country), Myriam Herrero (Seville University), Carolina Villacampa (University of Lleida), Josep M. Tamarit (University of Barcelona and UOC), Noemi Pereda (University of Barcelona), Ana Isabel Cerezo (University of Málaga), Helena Soleto (University of Carlos III) and Mar Gómez (Complutense University of Madrid). Among the publications, besides the specific Revista de Victimología/Journal of Victimology (http://www.huygens.es/journals/index.php/revista-de-victimologia), see the following handbooks: –Beristain, A. (1994). Nueva criminología desde el derecho penal y la victimología. Valencia: Tirant lo blanch. –Baca, E., Echeburúa, E. y Tamarit, J.M. (Eds.) (2006). Manual de Victimología. Valencia: Tirant Lo Blanch. –Guardiola, M. J. (2020). ¿Es posible la justicia restaurativa en la delincuencia de cuello blanco?. Estudios Penales y Criminológicos, 40. –Herrero Moreno, M. (1996). La hora de la víctima. Compendio de Victimología. Edersa: Madrid. –Morillas Fernández, D, Patró, R. and Aguilar, M. (2014). Victimología: Un estudio sobre la víctima y los procesos de victimización. Madrid: Dykinson. –Pereda, N. and Tamarit, J. M. (2013). Victimología. Barcelona: UOC. –Soleto, H. (2019). La ineficacia del sistema español para reparar económicamente a las víctimas de violencia sexual. Teoría y Derecho, 26(26), 321-340. –Subijana, I. (2006). El principio de protección de las víctimas en el orden jurídico penal. Del olvido al reconocimiento. Granada: Comares. –Varona, G. (ed.) (2018). Victimología: En busca de un enfoque integrador para repensar la intervención con víctimas. Cizur Menor: Aranzadi. –Varona, G., de la Cuesta, J. L., Mayordomo, V. and Pérez, A. I. (2015). Victimología: Un acercamiento a través de sus conceptos fundamentales como herramientas de comprensión e intervención. Bilbao: UPV/EHU. –Villacampa, C., Cerezo, Ana I. and Gómez, M. (2019). Introducción a la Victimología. Madrid: Síntesis.