National Inclusion Week: 23rd-29th September
National Inclusion Week takes place from the 23rd-29th September....
A young woman passed away after she was supplied Class A drugs. The person who supplied these drugs was convicted and sentenced to 21 months in prison. The mothers of both these individuals agreed to work with the police, as the victim's mother wished to prevent other young people from taking illegal substances, and the offender’s mother was open to discussing her son’s experience with being exploited by organised criminal groups to distribute drugs.
Restorative Solutions received the referral and following separate visits, it was established that the victim’s mother also saw the offender’s mother as a victim, despite her anger towards what her son had done. The victim’s mother was initially unaware of the struggle the offender’s mother had been having to keep her son safe from the people that were dealing drugs, the threats made towards the family and the numerous assaults her son had endured. It became apparent that it may be advantageous for both parties to meet to discuss what had happened and the impact on both families.
Lead Practitioners facilitated a face-to-face meeting. The offender’s mother spoke of what had happened 12-months prior to the victim’s death; how her son’s behaviour had changed, the use of cannabis, referrals to other organisations, calls to the police, curfews she had imposed and gangs getting her son to work for them.
The victim’s mother felt that her questions had been answered and she could clearly see the struggle the offender’s mother had been having. She assured her that she should not feel guilty and had done all she could to support her son; she was as much a victim in this as anyone else. The victim’s mother relayed the effect losing her daughter has had on her, her family and friends. It was discussed how a balance could be struck for the two parents to support each other.
The meeting lasted over three hours and was extremely emotional for all involved. Both mums felt that they could comfortably work together to bring awareness to young people about the risks of organised crime groups taking advantage of vulnerable people to distribute drugs, as well as the dangers of taking illegal substances.
Taking the time to get to know the impact of this incident on both parties, working at their pace and ensuring there was no pressure to bring them together worked really well. Both came to the natural conclusion at a similar time that they needed, and were ready for, this face-to-face meeting.
The victim’s mother is now considering continuing with Restorative Justice and initiating discussions with the two young men involved in her daughter’s death.
We’d love to talk to you about how we can find a solution for you.
This was a case of an overnight “creeper” burglary in a residential area where the harmer had gained access through an u...
The victim in this non-recent child sexual abuse case was a 56-year-old woman called Lisa. Her father sexually abused he...
This Restorative Justice case saw Jamie and Ruth openly communicate in a face-to-face conference. Years before, Jamie at...
We received a referral from a Victim Liaison Officer who was working on a manslaughter case. The grandmother advised the...
Nick worked at a clothing shop. When he noticed Glenn, a customer, shoplifting, Nick stepped in to challenge him. The po...
When Joanne and her husband had just gone to bed, they heard a really loud bang downstairs. They immediately thought som...
A young woman passed away after she was supplied Class A drugs. The person who supplied these drugs was convicted and se...
The offender in this case had been suffering with issues affecting his mental health which he tried to manage with alcoh...
The offender defrauded a woman he was in an intimate relationship with, stealing over £50,000 over a course of months. T...
The offender had sexually abused her young daughter, taking inappropriate photographs that were distributed to a third p...
National Inclusion Week takes place from the 23rd-29th September....
In Restorative Justice (RJ), communication between victims and offenders is crucial, helping the healing process by allo...
European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ) has published ‘From Survivors to Survivors: Conversations on Restorative J...