2011
Victim-Offender Mediation for Victims of Sexual Abuse
23
tual harm, of which no amount can truly repair. In Boston, admitted child molester, Father John Geoghan was convicted of abusing a ten year old boy in criminal court. Sequentially, approximately 130 victims came forward in several civil suits, and eventually cost the Church hundreds of millions in settlements.18 The sheer numbers of victims created by the Church are overwhelming: “tens of thousands of cases of clergy abuse have been recorded and verified.�19 With such high numbers and the ineffectiveness of monetary settlements, there is a demand for a process of holistic healing for victims. Fundamental issues in the Church structure may be argued here, however, the focus here is placed on the treatment of victims. One Aboriginal method for healing is the reversal of the small daily acts of humiliation: instead, giving small, daily acts of kindness and support.20 If all the conditions are right for victim/offender mediation, as determined by the mediator in the pre-mediation phase, it can have many healing properties for both the victim and the abuser. Mediation can help ease intense, negative emotions the victims have bottled up, and can provide some closure if facilitated correctly. It allows them to express all the feelings and perceptions directly to the offender, and gives victims an opportunity to face the cause of their distress. The pre-mediation phase is much more important in victim/ offender mediation, especially for victims of sexual abuse. The victims need a supportive environment to share their stories, and initial counselling allows individuals to feel and express their emotions safely. A question that rises is the length of time to wait before mediation occurs. 18 Supra note 10 at 89. 19 Ibid. at 91. 20 Supra note 1 at 73.