Video Review: Glimmer of Hope

Produced by the National Film Board of  Canada. 1997. 52:22 minutes.

This 52-minute video follows the Streufert family as they deal with the rape and murder of their 18-year-old daughter, Karin, just days after she returned home from her first year in college.  The video begins with the story of the abduction and the emotions each of the family members—Karin's parents and sister – experienced as they waited for news and then were forced to face the horrible news that she was dead.

Two offenders eventually confessed to the crime and were convicted and sentenced. The family discusses how the verdicts and prison sentences represented a kind of justice, but did not address all their needs for closure. To help with this, the family turned to victim offender mediation (VOM). Mark Umbreit, of the University of Minnesota, describes the VOM process and the steps he went through to prepare the Streuferts and the offenders to meet.

The documentary shows the differing opinions held by the members of the Streufert family. Mr. Streuffert was more eager to go through the process than his wife and daughter. Preparation for the initial meeting took 1 ½ years.

The film shows portions of meetings between the Streuferts and one of the offenders. In the first meeting, Umbreit invites the Streuferts to describe the impact of the crime on their lives. Then the offender explains some of the events leading to the crime. 

Mr. Streufert contines to meet with the offender to talk about what had happened to his daughter. After 18 months, Mrs. Streufert joins him to ask questions she had been unable to ask in the first meeting. The Streuferts decide to meet with the second offender in spite of Umbreit's concerns that this will not be as beneficial as the meetings with the first offender. 

The documentary portrays well the real emotions of loss due to crime and the struggle to rebuild one’s life. The Streufert family members disagree over the need and value for continued meetings with the offenders, and the surviving daughter raises some strong objections to this course of action. These are addressed sensitively and helpfully in the video. This film is excellent for demonstrating the complexity of the needs of victims and the importance of caution and expert facilitation when addressing those needs through restorative dialogue.

Video and DVD copies are available $129.95
Films of the Humanities and Sciences 
http://www.films.com/
Phone: 1-800-257-5126

Lynette Parker
July 2006