A bereaved mother who hugged the man who cut her son’s throat is one of the victims supported through a little-known scheme funded by Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner.
Lisa Townsend runs the county’s Restorative Justice Hub, which aims to bring together offenders and victims to discuss the impact of criminality.
In a new video, the Commissioner is joined by facilitator Mike Ledwidge and two members of her criminal justice policy team, George Bell and Craig Jones, to discuss the impact restorative justice can have.
The process gives both victims and offenders the opportunity to communicate in a face-to-face meeting, or via a letter, a recorded audio interview or a video.
While all victims of crime can seek a restorative justice outcome, a meeting will only take place if both the victim and the offender agree to it.
The scheme is voluntary, and trained facilitators assess risks and ensure the safety of those involved.
Rather than focusing only on punishment, restorative justice gives victims a voice – and offenders a chance to understand the real impact of their actions.
In the video, Mike discusses some of the restorative processes he has facilitated in Surrey.
“I want to hug you”
He said: “I took a lady to meet the man who cut her son’s throat.
“It was a meeting in the prison. At the end of the meeting, she said, ‘I’m not sure if I’m supposed to do this, but I want to hug you’, and she stood up and hugged him.
“I had a situation where I had a girl who had been in trouble six times in as many months. When she was drunk, she kicked the living daylights out of another girl. It was a very nasty attack.
“The parents of the victim came very angry to the meeting. At the end of the meeting, they left saying, ‘I hope that this works for you’. The offender never came to notice again.”
Hope for victims
The Commissioner said: “For many people, justice is something that happens only in a courtroom.
“But we believe it should also be something that gives victims a voice and provides a chance for offenders to truly understand the impact of their criminality.
“Restorative justice is about more than words. It’s about empathy, responsibility, and hope.
“By bringing people together in a safe and supported way, we can help victims to move forwards and reduce the chances of reoffending in our communities.
“Mike Ledwidge’s work is transforming the lives of both victims and offenders, and I’m delighted to support this process through my dedicated Reducing Reoffending Fund.”