Victims' Rights
Protecting the rights of crime victims has received more attention within the last two decades, as the public became concerned with the ability of law enforcement agencies to protect those who have been hurt or injured by assailants. Now most states have protective laws to ensure that the victims of crimes are safe from future attacks by their accusers. For example, some laws require that victims be notified when their assailants are released from prison. This is seen quite often in cases of child abuse, where, in California, Megan's Law requires certain sex offenders to register with police in their neighborhood and residents must be notified of the offender's presence.
Crime victims also have the right to protection from their assailants if the victims are taking part in the prosecution of the accused. The Witness Protection program, for example, will ensure the safety of a crime victim by moving him or her to a new location where he or she will assume a completely new identity to hide from the accused.
