JACK Straw is right to place the victims of crime "at the heart" of the justice system. For too long they have been left stranded as the judicial juggernaut they set in motion lumbered off without them.

The victim's involvement should not end after they have given a statement to the police.

Ideally, they need to be kept informed with the investigation's progress, although pressure on police time means this does not always happen. Indeed, the victim can be unaware that someone has been arrested and charged.

This feeling of abandonment continues with the court case. The defendant's right to speak out is enshrined in law: they can describe all manner of mitigating circumstances that led them to commit the crime. This is fair and just.

Yet the victim has been left without a voice. The prosecuting lawyer will explain to the court the nature of the crime and the effect it has had on those concerned. But a brisk and professional summary of the facts does not always convey the human suffering behind the court case.

We are all familiar with crime statistics. These bald facts conceal much heartache and devastation. Anyone whose home has been burgled knows the feeling of violation that follows. Some are so distressed by the crime that they feel forced to move.

Crime victims should have a right to make these feelings known in court. Magistrates and judges are so used to dealing with criminals that they can sometimes seem indifferent to the victims' plight. A heartfelt description of personal suffering at the hands of a burglar or mugger would ensure that the victim is placed at the forefront of the court's mind.

It may also have an impact on sentencing. If Mr Straw's reform works, we should see fewer crime victims berating the courts for handing down what they believed were inadequate sentences.

26/05/00