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“This process allowed me to grow, accept, and partially heal. The program offered me an exceptional human experience that would have been impossible to undergo any other way. The facilitators, who were experienced and generous, provided all the necessary support and guidance. I will be eternally grateful to them for the gift they have given me.”

— Julie (fictitious name)
Participated as a victim in a group restorative justice process

“The process started to open me up. There were things I wanted to say to someone who could actually receive them, which no psychologist or therapist can replace. People can tell you all they want that it’s going to be okay or that it isn’t your fault, but it will never have as much power as hearing it from that person.

I used to wonder why they left me alive. They took everything from me except my heart, which kept on beating. (…) Facing this man during the encounter, I realized that I should never have thought they should have taken my life, because there are so many beautiful things I am experiencing thanks to this journey.”

— Isabelle
Assaulted and kidnapped in her youth. She participated as a victim in a restorative justice process, and later took part in the podcast La 3e personne.

“The will power to go all the way allows one to witness something extraordinary: an unsuspected openness, an empathy for human suffering even if it is felt by an aggressor. From then on, the aggressor is no longer a beast, a monster, a demon, he becomes human.”

— J.
Victim of incest

“I was particularly touched by the testimonies I had the privilege of hearing. What I heard was marked by sincerity and a willingness to help others. The participants revealed themselves, trusted each other and walked together without confusion. But beyond the very touching life stories and the emotions it stirred, what really impressed me was to see barriers fall. In these encounters, stereotypes breakdown. There is no longer the victim on one side and the offender on the other; there are just two human beings embarking on the journey of restoration. They are willing to communicate with one another, willing to diverge from the path drawn by the rest of society. That is, a divisive path using and abusing stigmatizations making it difficult to return to life. To come back to their life.”

— Caroline Apotheloz
Community member during a restorative justice encounter

“As an indirect victim, you feel like you aren't the one touched by the crime, so you aren't entitled to services, or you don't deserve support services. I think we have just as much right to them as direct victims, we can suffer just as much, and we deserve healing too.”

“Going through this process brought me a lot of relief. It opened a Pandora's box inside me, representing the event and its consequences. In my life I have seen human mediocrity, but I was also able to see human greatness with this process. (...) It helped me reconnect with the beauty of the human being.”

— Kim
Participant in a restorative justice process

“The will power to go all the way allows one to witness something extraordinary: an unsuspected openness, an empathy for human suffering even if it is felt by an aggressor. From then on, the aggressor is no longer a beast, a monster, a demon, he becomes human.”

— J.
Victim of incest

“In my view, the thing that changed the most is the way I perceive myself. It gave me back a place in society that I no longer thought I had.”

— Fred
Offender who participated in a restorative justice encounter

“Having trusted me with your feelings, you all gave me the chance to better understand all the pain and suffering that you have carried in yourselves for so many years. Your trust in me has transformed into a self-trust so that I was able to express honestly what I had done to my victims and see the painful consequences on my family.”

— Paul
Offender who participated in a restorative justice encounter

“The community member who was there throughout my journey is here today. He played a major role in my process. I truly want to thank him. His outside view of the situation, his questions—they were all so relevant. He wasn't a victim, he wasn't an offender, but he was there, and he was listening. His perspective took us somewhere else, into other discussions. Truly, I thank him from the bottom of my heart.”

— Marco
Victim who participated in a restorative justice encounter