Abstract: Victim forgiveness is the expression of subject′s true meaning in suitable time within scope of lawful rights，which influences conviction and sentencing.Victim forgiveness may prevent crime in both substantive meaning and procedural meaning.And when it fails to prevent crime，victim forgiveness may contribute to less severe punishment.Legalization of victim forgiveness is an urgent task in criminal law so that the victim′s rights can be protected and the offender′s opportunity to reenter the society promoted.

Key words: victim forgiveness, criminal law, punishment, private prosecution cases, public prosecution cases