As a victim, you can sometimes decide to participate in victim-offender mediation. Victim-offender mediation is a meeting between you and the offender in which you can talk to the offender in a secure environment about what happened and how it has affected you. The offender can explain his or her thoughts about the crime.

Participation in the meeting is voluntary for you and the offender. A specially trained mediator will be present.

Victim-offender mediation is only possible if the offender has admitted his or her guilt. The police assess whether a case is suitable for mediation. If you are interested in participating in victim-offender mediation, you can also suggest it to the police yourself. Victim-offender mediation does not replace court proceedings, and the offender will still be punished.

You can read more about this on the website of the Victim-Offender Mediation Secretariat.