Pete* was a victim of a burglary. One day he woke up and noticed his car was no longer on his drive and when he went downstairs, he saw that his front door has been tampered with and various items were missing from his home. Pete felt very confused, shocked, and angry with the crime that had been committed.
After we received Pete’s referral from the police, our Restorative Justice team reached out to Pete. He was keen to find out more about the offender that targeted his property and he wanted to hear their story and try to help them not reoffend in the future. Pete also wanted to communicate to the offender the impact that the incident had on him and his family.
Restorative Justice gave Pete the opportunity to fulfil those aims in a safe and supported environment.
It helped me get closure. It was good to hear [the offender] apologise and commit to being a better person going forward.
Pete
*Names have been changed to maintain confidentiality.