The person injured by a crime is a _____

• A. Victim
• B. Plaintiff
• C. Offender
• D. Suspect

Answer: (A)

The person injured by a crime is the victim. This label identifies the individual who suffers harm as a result of the criminal act. In criminal cases, the state prosecutes the offense, but the harmed party remains the victim and may cooperate as a witness or seek restitution and support. A plaintiff, by contrast, is the party who files a civil lawsuit, which is a separate civil action from criminal charges and isn’t automatically the same as the harmed person in a crime. An offender is the person who commits the crime, and a suspect is someone believed to be involved but not yet proven.