Resumen:
ETA and IRA, the two oldest terrorist organizations in Europe, reached their greatest levels of violence during the << years of lead >> (1968-1981). This article aims to explore the characteristics of victims in this period determining the role of the terrorist and paramilitary organisations in the generation of violence. Moreover, it tries to describe the dynamics of victim selection employed by ETA and IRA using the theoretical model of de la Calle and Sanchez-Cuenca. On the other hand, the article explores in depth the reparation policies followed by Spain and the United Kingdom, which appeared three decades after the first crimes. The victims of both countries share a common demand: to resolve the high level of impunity, which condemns victims to a secondary victimization.