Stories
We feature a series of case studies from our Restorative Justice ambassadors giving their personal stories. These stories are powerful illustrations of the impact of Restorative Justice can have and we thank all of our ambassadors greatly for sharing them. The stories below are not to be reproduced without the express permission of Why me?
These stories include crimes that have occurred and may be difficult to read.
If you have been affected by crime and/or would like to have your story published on our website, please email us on info@why-me.org.
Wendy’s story
Wendy was sexually abused by her father when she was 14 years old. He pleaded guilty and received a £20 fine and a one-year conditional discharge. Over 40 years later, Wendy met her father in a restorative meeting.
Paul’s Story
Paul and his family were enjoying a normal evening when the doorbell rang and a gang of four men pushed their way into the house and demanded cash. The police arrived within 8 minutes, and the four men were subsequently arrested, convicted and jailed for a total of 64 years.
Marlee’s Story
Marlee was the first person in North America to get access through the courts to Restorative Justice for sexual violence, after being raped in 2016. The restorative process took her from feeling voiceless and disempowered after the court process, to feeling empowered, relieved and hopeful.
Andy’s Story
In 2019, Andy’s son, Joe, was killed in a road traffic collision caused by a driver on his phone. The tragic loss left Andy feeling angry and confused. After two Restorative Justice meetings with the driver, Andy found forgiveness for the man who killed his son and says he’s a changed man.
David’s Story
David* served a 15 year prison sentence after killing someone and pleading guilty to murder. He sought Restorative Justice after finding out about it on a victim awareness course that he completed in prison. Eventually, David met with a family member of the person he killed and was able to give them the answers that they needed.
Debbie’s Story
In 2005, Debbie’s brother was beaten to death by two men that he thought were his friends. 15 years later, Debbie met one of the men who had killed her brother in a Restorative Justice meeting. The meeting allowed her to get answers to her recurring questions and gain a sense of closure.
James’ Story
James spent most of his life involved in crime, addicted to drugs, and struggling with his self-worth. At the height of his stealing, he was taking roughly £140,000 a year. Meeting retailers face-to-face and building connections with them was a turning point that enabled James to see the bigger picture and find his purpose.
Janika’s Story
Janika suffered a violent knife attack at the hands of her former partner. He was convicted for attempted murder and remains in prison. She said, “Taking part in restorative justice was the key that unlocked the door to my future.”
John’s Story
John Mcgowan is the head porter at Durham Cathedral. He lives on site. One night in November 2013 he became aware of noise on the roof of the Chapter House. He went to investigate and saw that four people had climbed up some scaffolding and were putting themselves in much danger as the roof is very high and there is a steep drop into the river at one side.
Kate’s Story
Kate Morgan’s daughter, Lona, died after her friend Ian Edwards lost control of the car they were travelling in. He was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.
“I was pleased that he’d got some sort of punishment but the length of the prison term didn’t matter to me. Twelve days or twelve years, it wouldn’t bring Lona back. Over the next few weeks I realised I still had questions I wanted answers to.”