State Victim Blaming

In its purest form, justice exists to protect the good and punish the predators. However, that equation is reversed in the Northern Territory today. Too frequently, victims who have the courage to report crimes must negotiate a bureaucratic maze that penalises their initiative, denies them privacy, and occasionally leaves them in a worse situation than if they had remained silent. As a result, the community is doubly betrayed, once by the criminal and again by the state, and there is a culture of suppressed reporting and emboldened offenders.

As soon as a crime is reported, the procedural ordeal starts. Overworked and constrained by policies that value paperwork over pursuit, police view the victim as just another statistic to be processed rather than as a person who needs to be protected. With the tacit warning that any discrepancy will be exploited to damage the victim's reputation, detailed statements are requested, frequently several times. Evidence is frequently "lost" during agency handoffs. A chilly letter acknowledging the complaint and, often, outlining why no action will be taken is the reward for those who persevere, if you are lucky enough to get a letter, sometimes you find out months later when doing a follow up.

The insurance sector delivers the second blow. To receive compensation, victims must endure the ordeal in agonising detail, only to learn that any detail, no matter how small, can be used as leverage to prevent or postpone payment. The victim’s compensation is capped from victims of crime and often by your insurer as well. Just submitting a claim can lead to exclusions from the policy, exorbitant premiums, or even cancellation. It is common for insurance costs for small businesses to become unaffordable following a single incident. The money they paid for "protection" turns into a trap that rewards silence and punishes caution.

Meanwhile, privacy turns into collateral damage. Sensitive data, security footage, and personal information are dispersed throughout several databases and are available to anybody with the appropriate form or system friend. The victims are left vulnerable, their misfortune now a matter of public record, open to retaliation, discrimination, or gossip. In certain instances, their names are linked to criminal activity, which damages their reputation and social standing rather than serving as a symbol of their bravery in pursuing justice.

There is a significant psychological cost. Many conclude that it is more trouble than it is worth to report crimes. Word gets around fast, never trust the process, keep your head down, and take responsibility for your own losses. Offenders quickly discover that the biggest risk is not fear but indifference, as each unreported offence presents an opportunity. With the same people and companies being targeted repeatedly and each one being less likely to report than the last, the outcome is predictable, a steady increase in repeat offences.

This isn't a random consequence of a complicated system. It is the unavoidable result of systems that prioritise procedure over results, conformity over bravery, and avoiding liability over justice. The incentives are completely out of sync. Clearance rates and complaint volumes, rather than the actual experiences of the people they are supposed to serve, are used to evaluate police officers and bureaucrats. Insurance firms make money by minimising payouts rather than by keeping their end of the bargain. Under the pretence of "due process," dignity is violated and privacy is given up for efficiency.

Restoring the victim's priority is the obvious, and uncomfortable, solution. Simplify reporting, implement effective privacy safeguards, and hold insurers and criminals accountable. Seeking justice should no longer be viewed as a risk that needs to be controlled, but rather as the civic obligation that it is. The state will continue to support a system that rewards criminals and penalises law-abiding citizens until this change takes place, which is a betrayal of both policy and principle. And the criminals and lawyers, but I repeat myself, profit from the pain and suffering of the honest.

From the author.

The opinions and statements are those of Sam Wilks and do not necessarily represent whom Sam Consults or contracts to. Sam Wilks is a skilled and experienced Security and Risk Consultant with 3 decades of expertise in the fields of Real estate, Security, and the hospitality/gaming industry. Sam has trained over 1,000 entry level security personnel, taught defensive tactics, weapons training and handcuffs to policing personnel and the public. His knowledge and practical experience have made him a valuable asset to many organisations looking to enhance their security measures and provide a safe and secure environment for their clients and staff.