‘Meeting my rapist crucial to recovery’
AFEMALE rape victim who met with her attacker has told how the process helped her move on with her life.
She was able to meet her attacker through the restorative justice programme in Lancashire.
Restorative justice is an approach to justice that personalises the crime by having the victims and the offenders mediate a restitution agreement to the satisfaction of each.
Speaking anonymously to a conference of police and criminal justice professionals, hosted by Lancashire Police, the victim said that meeting her attacker had been crucial to her recovery.
Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw praised the victim’s courage in speaking out as he opened the conference, which highlighted the services available and how it can help people.
He said: “Restorative justice can be a really important process, giving victims a chance to get answers following a crime and often giving them a way to move on with their lives.
“The team at Lancashire Police and Lancashire Victim Services can offer the advice and support people need to take this difficult but often important step.
“The process can also give offenders the chance to face up to what they have done, understand how their crimes have affected people and reform as a result.
“I am confident this is a positive step towards making our communities better, safer places to live, and to giving victims of crime and anti-social behaviour a real voice.
“I will continue to support the work of our officers in Lancashire in delivering this important service and helping other victims get the justice and answers they seek.”
Speaking at the conference, the rape victim said: “I realised after the trial, where he had pleaded guilty, that I wanted to try and find out whether there was a way I could meet him.
“I wasn’t aware of restorative justice but had questions that I knew only he could answer.
“Meeting him was crucial in my recovery, hearing him say sorry to me face to face – every time I got an answer to the questions I felt relief, and a lot of fear and anxiety that I had carried with me, that I did not fully realise I had, lifted.
“I would encourage others to look for help through restorative justice, it has a really powerful effect on your life. Even knowing that there is an option to utilise it is part of the healing process and I hope that more will be able to access it and increasing awareness about it is such an important thing.”
Restorative justice is being used for a wide range of incidents and crimes, from low level anti-social behaviour to more serious and complex cases.
Helena Cryer, Restorative Justice manager at Lancashire Constabulary, said: “Restorative Justice is becoming more recognised as a way of giving victims a voice, allowing them to find the closure they need to move on from being labelled as a victim of crime.”
If you would like further information, email Restorative Justice mailbox RJAdmin@ lancashire.pnn.police.uk or call 01772 412545.