Source: (2002) In Restorative Justice and its Relation to the Criminal Justice System: Papers from the second conference of the European Forum for Victim-Offender Mediation and Restorative Justice, Oostende, Belgium, 10-12 October. Pp. 54-58. Downloaded 23 February 2005.
In Italy victim-offender mediation (VOM) centres were established for the first time in the
early 90s within the juvenile criminal justice system. Such system is functionally connected
with, and somewhat dependent on, a complex network of subjects and institutions (Mestitz,
2000), such as the national and local social services, the judicial police for juveniles,
voluntary work associations, and rehabilitation communities, where the juvenile offenders
may be placed for the execution of the sentence (probation, rehabilitation, etc.). In 2001-2002
the first survey on the characteristics and functioning of VOM centres was carried out (see
Mestitz, 2002 for a synthesis of preliminary findings emphasising the limited use of VOM in
Italy).
The present contribution is based on the mentioned survey dataset, and is aimed at
providing some information about: 1) the role of juvenile magistrates (like in France, the term
“magistratesâ€? refers to both judges and public prosecutors) for the creation and promotion of
VOM in Italy, and 2) the current communication between judicial authorities and VOM
centres. (excerpt)
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