Victims of Severe Violence Meet the Offender: Restorative Justice Through Dialogue

Source: (1999) International Review of Victimology.6(4): 321-343.

Some have suggested that the deepest healing impact of restorative justice is to be found in addressing and responding to violent crimes. An increasing number of victims of sexual assault, attempted homicide and survivors of murder victims, in Canada and the United States, are requesting the opportunity to meet the offender to express the full impact of the crime upon their life, to get answers to their questions and to gain a greater sense of closure so they can move on with their lives. This article addresses four topics: (1) the case development process of victim sensitive offender dialogue in crimes of severe violence; (2) the specific type of victim sensitive mediation used in such cases; (3) current studies of such interventions; and (4) two specific case studies related to the above research with emphasis upon implications for practitioners. Abstract courtesy National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org.