What else is possible?

After a crime or a traumatic event, we guide and facilitate contact between the people who were involved, for example the victim and the perpetrator. A core principle of restorative mediation is that it is voluntary. This means it is not always possible to organize this contact, for example because one person doesn’t want to get in contact with the other. It is also possible that it’s unknown who the perpetrator is. For the people that were involved, it can also help to get in talk about it with their loved ones. A victim of sexual violence may need help to talk about it with the people close to them, or a convict may want to restore the contact with their family. In order to help people these people, we also offer other restorative options. You can read more about them on this page.

Samenspraak: group meetings

Samenspraak is a series of group meetings centered around a specific theme, such as traffic incidents, violent crimes, or sexual abuse. In these meetings, victims, offenders, family members of either side, and civilians talk about the impact and consequences of these crimes or traumatic events. The participants of these groups do not know each other, but all went through a similar event. By talking about it with other people who were involved in a similar event, people can take a step towards recovery and take back control over their recovery process. The benefits of participating in these meetings are different for everyone.

Right now, Samenspraak group meetings are only available in Dutch. If you do not speak Dutch, but are interested in such group meetings, please let us know through the contact page, and we will let you know if a meeting will take place in English in the future.
Samenspraak: one-on-one meeting

Besides the group meetings, it is also possible for our mediators to facilitate contact between a victim and offender that do not know each other. They were both involved in a similar crime or event. A mediator from Perspectief will guide this contact.

If you want to find out more about this, you can reach us through the contact page, or apply for an intake.
Contact with indirect victims

When someone commits a crime, this often doesn’t only impact the victim and the ones close to them, but also the people close to the offender. The parents, partner, brother, sister or children of a convict are often also (emotionally) affected by the acts committed by their family member. This may have caused the trust to be broken and in need of repairing. Recovery with their social network can help offenders stay away from criminal behavior in the future. The social support of others is crucial for this.

Perspectief Herstelbemiddeling can guide and facilitate this contact in case it’s too difficult for them to do it alone. A first meeting, under the guidance of an impartial mediator, can help to restore the contact and trust.

If you want to find out more about this, you can reach us through the contact page, or apply for an intake.
Recovery circles – contact with your loved ones

If you are affected by sexual abuse or violence, this can cause change in the contact between you and your loved ones. They want to be there for you, but often don’t know how to help you. As the person affected by sexual violence, it can be difficult for you to share your thoughts and feelings with them. But sharing how you feel can help with your recovery. Know that you are not alone. There are loved ones, professionals, and others who were affected, that are there to help you once you feel ready. They can form your ‘recovery circle’. The mediators of Perspectief Herstelbemiddeling can help you and your loved ones to talk about what happened. You can find more information (in Dutch) on the website of Victim Support Netherlands, or you can reach us with questions through our contact page.

The video below offers a more in-depth explanation of recovery circles (in Dutch).

Video about Recovery circles: