Are sexual abuse survivors well served by restorative justice practices?

….There is a place for the criminal trial, and it is important that sex offenders should be punished. But the criminal justice system consistently fails survivors. Even in the rare instances where there is a conviction, most survivors do not feel that justice has been done. 

At One in Four we are optimistic that restorative justice, used either with or as an alternative to the criminal justice system will place the survivor right at the heart of the process. While it won’t change what has happened, it will allow the survivor to tell all the important people in his/her life, and perhaps the offender, exactly what they have suffered. It could also allow the survivor to regain some sense of control over life.

We are beginning to offer this service to our clients, so watch this space.

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