Justice Pilot Project – Voluntary meeting of victims and perpetrators in the test

Peter S. is visibly nervous for a closed door. In a few minutes he will be facing his ex-partner for the first time, which he beat in a dispute four months ago. In the meantime, he regrets his mistake a lot. But the Tyroolean burns various questions between the fingernails, which he can no longer easily ask the mother of the daughter. “How did she experience the whole thing? What does she want from me so that she can complete it better? And above all: will she be able to forgive me at some point? ” He has the opportunity to ask these questions.

Voluntary and free offer
Because the Probation Association Neustart is currently a new form of compensation test in the judiciary in Tyrol, Salzburg, Carinthia, Carinthia and Vienna: the victim’s dialogue. “The offer is voluntary, free and is accompanied by specially trained conflict controllers,” says Kristin Henning, head of Neustart in Tyrol. Apart from the legal processing, the affected have the opportunity to clarify the personal consequences of a crime before or according to a decision of a court. “The victim does not necessarily have to meet the perpetrator,” Henning emphasizes. Messages or questions can also be sent in writing.

Until now, the compensation for the crime was only possible if a criminal offense was completed. Now there can also be a victim in criminal proceedings, in which an extrajudicial settlement was refused because of a criminal record of the suspect or the kind of crime.

“A simple apology often helps”
“An investigation by the perpetrator can be important for the victim to find a form of graduation,” says Henning. A legal process or judgment creates a legal clarification of crime, but personal processing is often not possible. “A simple apology often helps.” The victim dialog box also promotes the re-socialization of the perpetrators and actions preventively, you are convinced at the new start.