ofendido

Ofendido is a Spanish term that can refer to the person who has been offended or insulted in a general sense. In the penal legal sphere of several Spanish-speaking countries, the term describes the victim of a crime or the party who has been harmed and who possesses specific procedural rights. The figure of the ofendido is often distinguished from other procedural roles such as the denunciante (complainant) and the parte civil or querellante, depending on the jurisdiction. Their rights can include receiving information about the progress of the case, presenting evidence, participating in certain procedural diligences, and, in some cases, filing a complaint or claiming restitution or damages.

The exact designation and set of powers of the ofendido vary. In some jurisdictions the expression “parte ofendida” is used to refer to the victim in the criminal process; in others the term may be equated with “víctima” or “perjudicado,” with differences in the scope of procedural actions. In general, the role of the ofendido is to acknowledge their direct interest in the outcome of the criminal proceedings and, where applicable, in a civil action arising from the criminal act.

Outside the legal realm, ofendido is the participle of the verb ofender and describes someone who feels insulted or harmed in their honor, which can lead to expressions of discontent or changes in social relations.