THE EVOLUTION OF THE VICTIM’S STATUS IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS: FROM PASSIVE PARTICIPANT TO ACTIVE PROCEDURAL SUBJECT

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of the victim’s status in the criminal proceedings of the Republic of Moldova through a multidisciplinary approach encompassing philosophical, religious, psychological, victimological, and procedural perspectives. From a historical standpoint, the article traces the transformation of the victim’s procedural position from the former legislative framework, in which the injured person occupied a marginal role and lacked genuine procedural rights, to the post-independence legislative reforms, embodied in the adoption of the 2003 Criminal Procedure Code and its subsequent amendments.The article analyses the procedural rights of the victim, the guarantees established in their favour, as well as the benefits of recognising the victim as an active procedural subject, both for the criminal justice system and for the injured person. The conclusions emphasise that the evolution of the victim’s status is an ongoing process, which must unfold in balance with the fundamental values of criminal justice.