Once you apply, one of our professional mediators will start working to carefully prepare the contact.
Besides a meeting, you can also choose to exchange letters or send messages through the mediator. Sometimes people choose to have a group recovery meeting, in which the social circle of the victim and the offender are involved.
Good to know
- Restorative mediation is always voluntary and free of cost
- All participants can start, pause, or quit the mediation at any point
- The contact is confidential
- The mediator is neutral and prioritizes the wants and needs of both parties
The first conversation
After you apply, you will first have an exploratory conversation with the mediator to discuss your wants and wishes, and what you want to get out of this mediation.
The mediator contacts the other person
After that, if both you and the mediator agree, the mediator will contact the other person. If they are also willing to get in contact, the mediator will also have a preparation talk with the other person.
Choosing the form of contact
Several different forms of contact are possible, depending on the wants and wishes of the participants.
- Face-to-face conversation: the mediator carefully prepares this contact with each person separately, and guides the conversation when it takes place.
- Exchange of letters: the mediator helps and supports the participants with this.
- Messages through the mediator: the participants don’t meet or write letters, but the mediator relays questions and answers between the participants.
- Video/audio messages: one or both participants can prepare a video or audio message with the help of the mediator and send it to the other person.
Closure
After the contact, the participants decide together what they can share with others regarding the things they discussed. In most cases, one moment of contact is enough for the participants, and the mediation is finished. Further aftercare is given by the professionals involved.
"This moment was extremely important to me. What a relief!"
"Manon was involved as my mediator. I had a very good experience with her, and was able to be myself whenever things got difficult. Her professional and warm attitude made me feel safe in a case as complicated as mine.
Eventually I was able to look the perpetrator of the sexual violence in the eyes, and I told him about the impact it had on my life with the help of a letter. I worked towards this moment for 16 years (!) and did a lot of inner work, so this moment was extremely important to me. What a relief! . I am forever grateful to Manon and Perspectief Herstelbemiddeling for their help in making this meeting possible. Manon helped me to see that solutions and opportunities can be found even in situations that seem like they have no way out. Such great support!”
Feline, (former) victim of sexual violence.
