MURDERERS MAKE RIGHT WITH VICTIM

On Thursday 20 November, at the onset of International Restorative Justice Week and the imminent 16 Days of Activism Against Abuse of Women and Children, a group of murderers will be escorted by the Department of Correctional Services to Alexandra SAPS Hall in order to give the community an opportunity to enter into a rare dialogue that was recently initiated between the murderers and a woman whose father was murdered in a hijacking.



The same event will happen on 26 November when the same perpetrators are escorted to the Naledi SAPS Hall in Soweto.



The sensational dialogue that began in private within the premises of Leeuwkop Correctional Centre is referred to as a Victim Impact Panel by Restorative Justice (RJ) practitioners and was facilitated by RJ specialists from Khulisa, a leading non governmental organization dedicated to preventing crime throughout South Africa.



During this Victim Impact panel, the daughter of the murdered hijack victim was given an opportunity to confront the three convicted murderers, together with two other men convicted of attempted murder and another of armed robbery. She shared with them the consequences of their crimes to her, her family, their friends and their neighbours. This dialogue is part of a process of healing for her after her father was murdered a few years ago.



Members of the Alexandra and Naledi community will also be given the opportunity to participate in this rare event of sharing, healing and learning by hearing feedback from the two parties and go a step further towards learning how to build a restorative community.



Head of Khulisa’s Restorative Justice Department, George Lai Thom, explains, “Restorative Justice (RJ) offers a holistic alternative to judicial systems that incarcerate offenders and often ignore victims' need for reparation and closure. In the interests of seeking true closure for these victims, offenders are asked to take responsibility, to be accountable and to be willing to make things as right as possible.



Khulisa’s Restorative Justice, Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution Department has facilitated over 4500 custodial and court-based cases in South Africa over the last five years.



Many victims report back feeling a decrease in fear after having seen the face and heard the story of an offender who might one day be released. The family of crime victims benefit from sharing their personal experience directly with the offenders. Often they also want to know the inner thoughts of offenders in order to get closure”.



Lai Thom explains further that, “The Victim Impact Panel offers an opportunity for those surviving a crime to give offenders hell for the damage they caused. In some cases this results in them being able to release the burden of anger and bitterness they feel and find sorely needed closure. They are asked to tell offenders what they’ve experienced and how they feel having gone through a Criminal Justice System that in many instances, left them doubly victimized because closure and reparation were never completed. Often they explain how they feel re-traumatised by the denial of the offenders.”



Lai Thom explains furthermore, that “Offenders who go through this process describe feeling shocked at the far-reaching effects and human costs of their actions. It’s hard for us to grasp, but they’ve never heard what the survivors of a crime have to say so explicitly”, he says. “They also experience a sense of closure and appreciate the opportunity for repentance and having a say in making things right.”



Lai Thom adds, “Our wish is that these two communities are strengthened by their participation in such an event where they have been given an opportunity to be connected in problem solving rather than feeling disempowered.



Khulisa is an award-winning national non governmental organization which has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of South Africans since 1997 by preventing crime through promoting rehabilitation, education and reconciliation. It currently operates throughout South Africa, implementing innovative education, leadership, skills training and personal development programmes. Khulisa promotes reconciliation and reintegration in all aspects of its work.