Victims to meet their offenders face to face

Jul 24 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

VICTIMS are getting chance to come face to face with offenders under a new scheme in Kirklees.

The scheme – Restorative Justice – is up and running across the district and is proving a success.

It aims to make offenders hear directly about the how their crime affected victims’ lives.

Victims will also have chance to ask questions and offenders will have the opportunity to explain why their committed the crime and be given chance to repair the harm done.

This can even be in a practical way – such as painting over graffiti they may have sprayed or repairing damaged property.

The theory behind Restorative Justice is that it holds offenders to account on a more personal level and may provide victims with more answers and ‘closure’.

Clr Andrew Marchington is chairman of the Kirklees Safer Stronger Communities Partnership, which is behind the scheme.

He said: “Mediation helps both victim and offender by easing anger and fear of further crime in victims, and enabling offenders to see the affects of their crime and give them the opportunity to make amends.”

Communication between victims and offenders can be direct or indirect.

The direct approach involves trained mediators preparing both the victim and offender before the meeting, where two mediators will also be present. The location will be pre-arranged, on neutral ground and deemed safe by mediators.

The indirect method involves mediators passing information between victim and offender verbally, or by letter. Group meetings can also be held.