The protection of the victim in the sentence enforcement phase

Abstract

The protection of the victim during the enforcement phase of the sentence is a measure of great relevance and importance in the pursuit of an effective and fair criminal justice system. The criminal process, in all its stages, including the enforcement phase, must regard the victim as a key stakeholder, as they are the one who suffered the consequences of the criminal act. Therefore, the judge in the Penal Execution Court must seek to uphold the rights of victims while simultaneously ensuring the proper enforcement of the sentence imposed on the convicted individual. In this sense, the enforcement phase of the sentence should be viewed from two perspectives: the protection of the victim of the offense and the proper execution of the penalty applied for the commission of the offense. This ensures that the enforcement of the sentence serves as a concrete and real response to the victim's expectations. Moreover, the creation of mechanisms and laws aimed at safeguarding victims during the course of sentence enforcement is equally essential to ensure their rights and the assistance they deserve after being exposed to a criminal act. For the drafting of this article, a qualitative, descriptive, and, at times, exploratory methodology was employed, involving the analysis and review of texts addressing the subject matter.