You may be very surprised to learn that the accused has appealed the verdict. If you were relieved that the trial is behind you and that the accused has been found guilty of murder and has been sentenced, you may be very angry and upset to discover that an appeal has been requested. You may find this very unjust and hard to understand.

The appeal may take place one year or several years after the end of the original trial. If the appeal is granted and heard, you will have to relive the events of the murder yet another time. You may find this very distressing. It may make you very angry to have your lives turned upside down once more. You may have to wait years for resolution.

Mennonite Central Committee Canada. (2011). Getting through the maze: A guidebook for survivors of homicide.