Assault At A Music Festival

Elizabeth was at her first music festival when she was attacked by a total stranger. She suffered bruising to her face and was badly shaken up. The man who attacked her was given a caution for breach of the peace.

Elizabeth said: "I was really angry about it. My dad had heard something about Restorative Justice and thought it might be a suitable course of action to follow. I was unsure at first about meeting the person who had done it. He was also unsure he wanted to meet me, but the Restorative Justice coordinator explained what would happen."

“I felt safe in the environment. When I walked into the room, he put his hand out and shook my hand. I was happy to do that and felt more comfortable straight away. I wasn't expecting that."

The young man was not much older than Elizabeth. He had taken drugs as a one-off at the festival and had a bad experience. Elizabeth said: "He struggled to look at me at first. He had no-one there for him. I felt more sympathetic towards him than I thought I would."

“He was looking for me to fill in the gaps in his recollection of the event. I helped him to understand what had happened and he helped me understand why it happened. The meeting lasted about two hours and I was glad I had done it. I felt I had gained something from it and he wasn't this big scary monster.”

“I think he got to understand the real impact of what he had done and was very sorry. He had been having flashbacks and it helped him to talk about it. He made it clear that wasn't him. He felt very remorseful and wouldn't be doing those drugs again."

If you are interested in finding out more about how Restorative Justice might help you and you are based in Kent, please give us a call on 0800 783 1583 or email us at rjkent@restorativesolutions.org.uk and we will be glad to help you.