Can mediation be therapeutic for crime victims? An evaluation of victims' experiences in mediation with young offenders.

Introduction Victims have been described as the "forgotten party" in the criminal justice system (Viano 1978). In the criminal justice system, victims are considered to be witnesses to a crime [...]
Victims' experiences in the justice system may help or hinder their healing process. Restorative justice aims to heal the suffering caused by victimization (Zehr 2002). However, some victim advocates have expressed concern that restorative justice may augment victims' suffering. This article presents the results of an evaluation of the experiences of crime victims who were invited to participate in a mediation program. Using therapeutic jurisprudence as a framework, the study looks at how victims' fear was affected by the program and whether their participation in the program helped with their recovery. La nature de leur experience du systeme de justice peut faciliter ou entraver le processus de guerison des victimes. Or, la justice reparatrice a precisement pour but de guerir les souffrances que provoque la victimisation (Zehr 2002). Cependant, selon certains groupes de defense et de promotion des droits des victimes, la justice reparatrice intensifierait, en fait, les souffrances de celles-ci. Dans cet article, on presente les resultats d'une etude des experiences vecues par des victimes d'actes criminels qui ont participe a un programme de mediation. A partir d'un cadre d'analyse constitue de jurisprudence sur les pratiques therapeutiques, l'etude evalue dans quelle mesure le programme a pu modifier l'intensite de la peur chez les victimes et faciliter leur retablissement.