Henry's story: Facing the music
Jul 27, 2012
from the article on Restorative Justice Council's website:
As I waited for Rachel to arrive I was absolutely terrified. I knew what would happen but it was terrifying doing it – actually facing her. She was the one I stole from. It went right to my guts. I knew then that this just wasn’t me – I had to change. I think back on that day and it gives me the attitude that I need to never go back to how I was before.
At 14 I moved schools and it was soon after that when a friend pressured me into trying ketamin for the first time. It became my addiction. I left school with 1 GCSE. I left my family to live with a friend in a caravan. I thought I was alright because I was next to my drugs, I could get them easily and that was what I cared about.
....I got caught a couple of weeks later. At court they gave me a nine month referral order. I had to go to see someone once a week and talk about my drug problem. I would go along to the meetings and be like ‘yep, yep, yep’ and an hour later I’d go out and be using again. I wasn’t enjoying life, I was suffering from depression and I had never felt so lonely.
As part of the referral order, I agreed that if Michael or his mum wanted to meet me I would do that. Rachel, Michael’s mum, decided she would like to meet me. On the day of the meeting I stood outside of the Town Hall where it was going to take place, shaking. I was absolutely terrified about going in and seeing her, with everyone knowing what I had done.
I decided to go in there and face the music. I walked into the room where my referral order worker was waiting for me. We waited for Rachel to arrive. Those few minutes were horrible.
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