RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

• Published date: 23 September 2021
• Publication title: Guardian, The

Their relationship was volatile, and the police had been called several times when their arguments got out of hand.

One night, after Tyrone had been drinking for some time, the couple began arguing. Soon they were shouting, and finally Tyrone lashed out, hitting Agatha on the face. Just then the police arrived, having been contacted by a neighbour who could hear the noise.

Tyrone was charged with assault on a person in a family relationship. He pleaded guilty in court and was remanded on bail for sentencing. Until then he was not allowed to live at the family home and was forbidden to have any contact with his wife unless it was for restorative justice.

“The courts are very cautious in cases of family violence,” Manawatū Restorative Justice Trust manager Phil Peters says. “The safety of the victim is always paramount in their thinking.”

Both Tyrone and Agatha were keen for restorative justice, so the case was allocated to two of the trust’s family violence trained facilitators.

They first met with Agatha. An important part of the initial meeting is ensuring the victim genuinely wants to take part in the restorative process and is not under pressure from the offender to do so.

Satisfied Agatha was committing to restorative justice of her own free will, the facilitators met with Tyrone.

“Tyrone was very remorseful,” facilitator John Waldon says.

“He acknowledged responsibility and was prepared to do whatever necessary to repair the harm he had done to the relationship.”

Before the conference, the facilitators met with the two parties again, and this time each was...