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The Sun and The Daily Mail feature stories about restorative justice

The Sun and The Daily Mail have featured stories about restorative justice this month in which they have shared the amazing experiences of David Roger, who met his son’s killer, and Jo Nodding, who forgave the man who had raped her.

The papers, which have a combined readership of over 12 million people, contacted the RJC to speak to people who had experienced restorative justice.

The Sun

David, told The Sun: "I wanted to meet him and get some real answers about what happened that night. I wanted him to know who Adam was and what his actions have done. I hope by doing that he can lead a better life.

"I don't know what forgiveness is exactly, I think it's an ongoing process. But one life has been ended already by what happened and I don't want another young man to see his life ruined.”

Adam was killed when punched by Billy whilst trying to calm down an argument between two groups of friends. He fell and hit his head on the pavement causing his fatal injury. Speaking about the trial, David described how Billy had pleaded not-guilty and sought to minimise what he had done and how he felt that court didn’t help people see what Adam was really like. In contrast David described how at the restorative justice meeting: "He apologised for what he had done straight away and as we talked he got very upset, as did I. I got answers to a lot of my questions and I wanted him to be fully aware of who Adam was and what he had done.”

"When it finished I felt as though a weight had been lifted off me. I felt positive that he was making changes in his life. It's important to remember that this was a tragedy for two families. Adam's life was lost and I didn't want to see another life ruined."

Views from RJC Trustee, Garry Shewan, and RJC member Natalie Cronin, Chief Executive of Prison Fellowship were featured in the paper highlighting how restorative justice is helping victims, offenders and communities with the impact of crime. David’s courage and compassion immediately inspired comments of admiration from readers on The Sun website.

The Daily Mail

Leading with Jo Nodding, The Daily Mail’s Femail supplement features the stories of women who have forgiven the people who had committed crimes against them.

Jo, an RJC Trustee, told the Mail how she had felt humiliated after the attack and that the effect on her family had been ‘devastating’. She described how after speaking to him she no longer felt any anger towards him and forgave him. Jo said “forgiving Sean has helped to heal me. I am no longer a victim, I am a survivor.”

The Mail article also tells the story of Margaret Foxley, who met the man who burgled her home in Lancashire, and Kathy Keys, who met the man who killed her husband whilst drink driving. Margaret said: “To my suprise, meeting Peter was therapeutic. He wasn’t at all as I’d imagined.” Kathy said: “But facing this man who had wreaked such havoc in my life, I couldn’t stay angry. He looked so crumpled and pathetic, a shadow of a man... Hating him wouldn’t bring Darryl Back.”

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26th Jan 2012

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