Victims of Terrorism in Spain and Northern Ireland: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This panel presents the findings from an international, multidisciplinary project on Victims of Terrorism needs. Funded by the European Commission and conducted by a team of researchers in Ireland, UK and Spain, the study has examined the position of the victim organisations with regard to the responsibility for victimisation, restorative justice, compensations, role of government, assumptions around victimisation, the role of charities and voluntary bodies, representation and public impact of their activities on a local national and international level. Contextual knowledge around legislation, national policy and international conventions, the interaction of victim organisations and the broader national and international communities and media has been also examined. Armed with this knowledge, the project then analysed the impact of these findings on the individual victims of terrorism. By using the group’s own declaration of aims and success, interview data, along with perspectives of victims and their evaluation of the groups’ activities, we ascertained the perceived effectiveness of different initiatives purportedly in support of Victims of Terrorism. The panel will discuss in depth some of the key findings from the study and will highlight their implications for key debates in the academic study of victimhood.

Title	Details
European Instruments Concerning Victims of Terrorism Rights: Meeting Needs?	View Paper Details
Discourses of Victimhood and Victims’ Narratives: Assessing Different Dimensions of Victimhood in Spain	View Paper Details
A Needs-Based Theoretical Approach to Public and Private Constructions of Victims' Needs in Post-Conflict Northern Ireland	View Paper Details
Victims of Terrorism in an international context: a comparative analysis	View Paper Details