What is restorative mediation?
Perspectief Herstelbemiddeling guides and facilitates contact between people who were involved in a traumatic event. This could be a crime, a (traffic) accident, sexual violence, or for example transgressions in sports. We call this restorative mediation. Through the contact, the people who were involved are able to take a step towards their personal recovery.
Why restorative mediation?
The way that restorative mediation can help is different for everyone. It can often times help to process the event and move on from it. Participants can ask questions and give answers to each other. This way, both people can get more insights into how it happened, and what the consequences of the event are. Participants often feel relieved after the contact, they feel less scared and less angry, or less guilty about what happened. It helps them move on, and can avoid it from happening again.
When is restorative mediation possible?
Restorative mediation can take place at any moment participants want. It can be a short time after the event, or years or decades later. It is possible after both minor and major crimes or accidents. The participants decide for themselves what exactly they want to discuss during the mediation. Often times, they want to ask questions and give answers.
How restorative mediation works after...
Do you have any questions about restorative mediation? Please contact us.
You can also apply for an intake.
Moving on after a traumatic event. This is how we do it.
The way in which restorative mediation can help is different for everyone. In this video we explain in short what restorative mediation is. We also explain how it works and how it can help you.
Experiences of participants
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The victim's mother (Jolanda) and the perpetrator’s father (Dave) discuss restorative mediationIn this interview at Perspectief Herstelbemiddeling, Jolanda speaks with the perpetrator’s father, Dave. They both talk about how the aftermath of this terrible event has affected them, and about how Jolanda came into contact with both the boy and his parents through Perspectief Herstelbemiddeling.
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Sofie (20)* experienced sexual misconduct: “Thanks to the mediation, I was able to let go of my feelings of guilt”On the last night of her graduation trip to Spain, an intimate encounter with a Dutch boy went much further than she wanted or had indicated. Sofie, who was still a minor at the time, had her life turned upside down. With the help of Perspectief Herstelbemiddeling, she hoped to find a way to process her questions and emotions.
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Jolanda talked with the boy who killed her son: ‘I wanted answers’In 2021, Jolanda’s son Perry (21) was killed when his then 17-year-old friend Damian stabbed him in a parking lot. “For a long time, I had no idea what had gotten into him. Only once I got in contact with him, I got answers and peace,” Jolanda says, who talked with Damian and later also his parents.
