What does the term ‘victim’ really mean? The General Assembly of the United
Nations in its 96th plenary meeting on November 29, 1985 made a Declaration of Basic
Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power. The declaration defines
victims as "persons who, individually or collectively, have suffered harm, including
physical or mental injury, emotional suffering, economic loss or substantial impairment
of their fundamental rights, through acts or omissions that are violations of criminal laws
operative within member states, including those laws prescribing criminal abuse of
power"6
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