SECONDARY VICTIMISATION IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM: FACILITY DOGS TO THE RESCUE

Secondary victimisation of victims of crime, especially among vulnerable victims such as child victims and victims of sexual and gender-based violence, is a well-documented feature of interactions with the justice system. A range of international law instruments impose obligations on States to implement measures aimed at mitigating secondary victimisation; but leave discretion to States as to the form that these measures will take. This article explores the use of facility dogs as means of mitigating secondary victimisation among victims of sexual and gender-based violence. Having outlined the evidence of secondary victimisation as a phenomenon, and the scope of international law obligations to mitigate it, the article provides an overview of international literature on the efficacy of facility dogs, before presenting the results of the FYDO project - the first European pilot project to use and assess the efficacy of facility dogs as a means of mitigating secondary victimisation among victims of crime.