Frequently asked questions

Restorative mediation is possible after every type of crime. Both minor and major crimes, that happened a short time or a long time ago. We make an exception for stalking cases. Only after we receive a positive opinion of a practitioner or expert, we can accept an application of a stalking case.

Restorative mediation is possibly between victims and offenders that know each other, but also between victims and offenders that don’t know each other. However, it is necessary that the contact details of the other person are known with for example police or public prosecutor’s office, and that a police report has been made. In cases of sexual violence, traffic accidents, or transgressions in sports, a police report is not required.

In case the contact details of the other person are unknown, we could offer other options. Look under ‘My offender/victim is unknown’. 

Do you have any doubts or questions about whether Perspectief Herstelbemiddeling could help you? Please contact us.

Restorative mediation is also meant for relatives of deceased victims, witnesses of incidents, people who became a victim in their public function (eg. train conductors, police officers), and for relatives of victims and offenders. Besides offenders, also suspects or causers of an accident can participate. 

Any doubts or questions? Please contact us or call our head office: +31 30 234 00 45

In principle, restorative mediation can happen at any moment the participants want. But as long as the criminal case is still active, the public prosecutor (Officier van Justitie) or judge may want to consider Mediation in Criminal Cases (Mediation in Strafzaken, MiS) by the court’s mediation bureau. So you could be contacted by them, asking if you are open to MiS. This is a service that is part of the criminal case, and the prosecutor or judge will consider the outcome of this mediation in the verdict. 

In case MiS is not used in the criminal case, restorative mediation is possible. Both MiS and restorative mediation happen on a voluntary basis. 

You can read more about both services on the government website (Dutch).

Every participant can start, pause, or stop the mediation at any given point. In order to have a successful mediation, voluntariness and motivation are very important. If you decide you don’t want to do mediation after you apply, or after your conversations with the mediator, you do not have to go through with it.

All aid workers and professionals who work with victims, offenders, and other people who were involved, can apply for their clients, if they think that restorative mediation could help them in their recovery. The client, of course, has to agree to the application. 

A few examples are staff of Victim Support Netherlands (Slachtofferhulp Nederland), child protective services, probation organizations, but also general practitioners and psychologists. Read more about your role as a referrer.

The professional mediators of Perspectief have been working with offenders for years, and are trained to thoroughly investigate the reason someone wants to get in contact. This happens during the intake, that has already taken place by the time you receive a letter. If the mediator has any doubts about the intentions of the offender, they stop the mediation. We will only send a letter if the mediator is convinced they have good intentions.

No, participants don’t have to pay for restorative mediation. The Ministry of Justice and Safety finances our services, so it is completely free of cost.  

No, we do not have a waiting list. Our aim is to have a mediator contact you within 2 to 3 weeks after your application to plan an intake with you. If we have any questions regarding your application, someone from the registration point may contact you before that time as well. 

In case the other person is unknown or deceased, we can help you look through other options. Sometimes it’s possible to get in contact with someone else who was involved in a similar situation. We can also refer you to other organizations that may be able to help you in your recovery.

In cases of an ongoing dispute between neighbors in which no crime has been committed, we will first refer you to neighbor mediation (buurtbemiddeling). In case a crime has been committed, it is possible to apply for restorative mediation. If neighbor mediation does not offer a solution, it’s possible to explore whether restorative mediation is an option. 

Convicts in prison can also apply for restorative mediation, by themselves, or through a case manager or mentor. It can also be helpful for convicts to do restorative mediation with their ‘indirect victims’, such as their own relatives. 

Yes, this is possible. For victims of sexual violence or abuse, it can sometimes be very difficult to talk about this with the people close to them. In this case Recovery Circles (Herstelcirkels) can help, in which you can talk about what happened with your relatives and/or friends in the presence of a mediator who can help guide the conversation. If you are able to read Dutch, you can look at this web page for more information. You can also call or email us. 

If you do not speak Dutch, it's not a problem. Our mediators and registration point staff can speak in English with you. If you have questions, and you do not speak Dutch or English, you can ask someone you know who speaks Dutch or English to help you with calling or emailing us.

If you prefer to speak in your own language during the intake with the mediator, and during the meeting with the other person, it is also possible to have an interpreter present. This does not cost money for you. 

Perspectief is authorized to ask for this information at the public prosecutor’s office (Openbaar Ministerie) and police in order to contact people for a mediation. This information is never revealed to the other participant, or given to anyone else. All information is handled confidentially. Read more about it in our privacy policy.

In that case, the mediation unfortunately stops. Perspectief does make several efforts to get in contact. In about half of the cases, the other person accepts the request, and the mediation can continue. 

Restorative mediation is completely free of cost to participants. The Ministry of Justice and Safety finances the services that Perspectief provides. 

Yes, you are allowed to bring a supportive figure to the meeting. Think of someone close to you, or your counselor. You will discuss this beforehand with the mediator. The other person will be informed about this, and will also be allowed to bring a supportive figure. 

After you send in an application, a mediator will first contact you to discuss the reason for your application, your wants and needs, and your expectations. Only after it becomes clear that you want the other person to be contacted for a mediation, and the mediator also thinks this is a good idea, the mediator will contact the other person. 

It is not mandatory to have the contact through a mediator. We do expressly recommend this. Unannounced letters, in some cases even via a lawyer, are not often received well by victims. They could increase their feelings of fear and distrust. Having the contact through a neutral and independent mediator creates trust. The mediator shapes the contact in accordance with the wants and needs of both participants. 

A core principle of restorative mediation is that all people participate voluntarily. If the other person does not want to participate, mediation is not possible. In that case, we can help you look through other options. Sometimes it’s possible to get in contact with someone else who was involved in similar situation. We can also refer you to other organizations that may be able to help you in your recovery.