In some jurisdictions, victims can launch a private prosecution. The government always has the right to shut it down, by taking it over and dismissing it. But d

In some jurisdictions, victims can launch a private prosecution. The government always has the right to shut it down, by taking it over and dismissing it. But doing that can have a political cost (public outrage, negative media coverage, etc)-which makes it a potentially useful tool in pressuring the public prosecutor into action.