Forgiveness and victims of sexual violence A controversial question in restorative justice

The question of forgiveness has always been controversial in victimology, particularly for victims of sexual violence. However, 15 of the 18 victims of sexual violence who participated in this study spontaneously mentioned the topic of forgiveness and/or apology during a qualitative interview aimed at understanding their experience with restorative justice. This paper explores the meaning of forgiveness for victims. The results indicate that forgiveness is triggered by the dialogue between the victim and the offender, particularly when the person who has committed a sexual offence takes responsibility for the actions and apologizes to the victim. Victims tend to see forgiveness not as something that is offered to the offender but as something they give to themselves. For victims, forgiveness is an integral part of their recovery from victimization.