A Taxonomy of Victims and Perpetrators: Human Rights and Reconciliation in South Africa

In: Human rights quarterly, Band 25, Heft 4, S. 1088-1116

Abstract

In human rights discourse, victims and perpetrators are usually referred
to as two completely separate and homogenous sets of people. This article
challenges this discrete and binary approach to these concepts. Through
an analysis of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission,
especially its final report, the article demonstrates that the reality
of many post-conflict situations is more complex. More often than not,
within the group of victims, not all victims are the same. Similarly,
within the group of perpetrators, not all perpetrators are the same;
and the two groups are rarely separate and distinct: some individuals are
both victims and perpetrators. The article concludes with some thoughts
on the implications of this research for understanding the challenges
of reconciliation in South Africa.