East police forces highlight Restorative Justice
Forces have been marking Restorative Justice Week by shining a light on the service.
The voluntary service brings people who have been harmed, and those who have harmed them, together in a safe environment to speak about what happened and why.
It aims to provide victims of crime with closure, while ensuring the offender takes responsibility for their actions, and in some cases reduce the chance of reoffending.
Restorative Justice covers incidents from disputes with neighbours, to the most serious offences such as murder and sexual assault.
One woman, who's been named as Rebecca for anonymity reasons, lost her husband during a fight and contacted the Norfolk and Suffolk Restorative Justice Hub eight years later to try and find some closure.
She said: "It has been a massive weight taken off my shoulders so far, and it's making me feel better, that I have a way to communicate my feelings and thoughts. With the help of the RJ service, I feel more confident and positive"
Meanwhile James, who's also been given a different name, is in prison for assault and wanted to face his victim to apologise.
He said: "I’m hoping I can answer some of the victim’s questions and take away some of the stress and anguish he must have felt. I want to apologise; even if he doesn’t accept it, that’s up to him, but at least I have had an opportunity to offer that.
"For me, it’s my opportunity to understand further what happened, to get some closure and understanding, then mark this chapter off. Without restorative justice, this would never happen and I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on where I go next; this is the only avenue I have been able to work with to get those answers."
It's hoped Restorative Justice Week will raise awareness of the support available to victims of crime across the country, in a bid to help people move on from their experiences in a way the sentencing of an offender might not offer.
Sergeant Simon Wallace, from the Norfolk and Suffolk Restorative Hub, explained: "Restorative justice empowers victims by giving them a voice in deciding what is right and appropriate for them – outcomes the traditional justice system often doesn’t give them.
"When done right, restorative justice can also significantly reduce reoffending - even for career criminals, when confronted with the human cost of their criminal behaviour."
The same kind of support is available in Essex through the Essex Restorative and Mediation Service which was launched as a pilot scheme in 2015.
Police, fire and Crime Commissioner for the county, Roger Hirst, added: "Restorative Justice can be effective in showing the responsible person the real impact of their actions by putting a face to their crime. It also gives the victim and their families the chance to tell the offender how they feel about what has happened, ask for an apology and get answers to their questions.
"It can be used alongside the criminal justice system and can be really powerful for both victims and perpetrators."
You can find out more about the support available via the dedicated websites for Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex.