CGJ Student Staff Update from Shannon Fields

This blog post was written by 3L Shannon Fields.

This semester I have had the privilege to work on a project for Kyampisi Childcare Ministries (KCM). The organization fights child sacrifice in Uganda as well as provides rehabilitation for the victims. KCM asked the Center for Global Justice to write a memorandum about why restitution should be granted to child sacrifice victims and/or their families.

Although there is a statute which permits the courts to grant restitution to such victims, it is rarely implemented. Child sacrifice crimes not only cause extreme emotional hardship for the families, but they also cause financial hardships. It is not enough to remove the perpetrator from society. Steps should be taken to attempt to make the victim or victim’s family whole once again, and restitution is one of those steps. Restitution has the potential to provide financial relief to the victim’s family, and unfortunately, it is not being utilized in regard to child sacrifice crimes. The hope is that this memorandum will motivate judges to grant restitution to the victims to pay for their medical expenses, psychological treatment, and other needs. It is a privilege to get to encourage change in Uganda, a place near and dear to my heart.