The Case of Pinochet

Prosecute & Punish?  or  Forgive & Forget?
 





Beyond Retribution...
 
 

Retribution.  Vindication.  Equity.  Reassurance.  Meaning.
 
 

Punishment of the criminal is justified because “the feeling of hatred and the desire of vengeance are important elements in human nature which ought in such cases to be satisfied in a regular public and legal manner."
James Fitzjames Stephen






        “Victims often seek vindication.  This vindication includes:
                                                  denunciation of the wrong,
                                                    lament,
                                                    truth-telling,
                                                    deprivitization,
                                                    and deminimization.

        They seek equity, including reparation, reconciliation, and forgiveness. 


They sense a need for empowerment, including participation and safety.
        Another need is
                                reassurance,
                                including support,
                                'suffering with,'
                                safety,
                                clarification of responsibility,
                                and prevention.

And they have a need for meaning,

                                                                        including information,
                                                                        fairness,
                                                                        answers,
                                                                        and a sense of proportion.”
 

                                                                                                         Mark William Bakker

Repairing the Breach and Reconciling the Discordant:
                                                                                                         Mediation in the Criminal Justice System
                                                                                                         North Carolina Law Review, September 1994
 

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