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Crime Prevention Council in Denmark. An experiment with victim offender mediation in Denmark: Victim and offender may meet for mediation

Written in 1999, this paper describes an experiment in victim offender mediation in certain police districts in Denmark. It is part of the government’s plan to strengthen the position of victims of crime. The paper outlines the nature and purpose of victim offender mediation, the mediation process, types of cases referred to mediation, expectations and outcomes for participants, origin of referrals, mediators, and the scope and time frame of the experiment.

Rasmussen, Bo Morhorst. A Decision Making Model"Plus"-- The Study of the Danish Experiment with Family Group Conferencing

In this article, Bo Morthorst Rasmussen reviews the main conclusions from a study of the Danish experiment with family group conferencing (FGC) during 2000 and 2001. The Danish experiment was based on the New Zealand model of family group conferencing. In this model, FGC is primarily a decision making structure involving the family and the social welfare agency in devising a plan of action to benefit a child or youth at risk. Rasmussen presents statistics on the extent of conferencing in Denmark during the two year trial period; the methodology of the evaluation; information on outcomes and levels of satisfaction among participants; components and process in the Danish use of FGCs; and comparison of key statistics with respect to the use of FGCs in Denmark, Sweden, and England.

Lemonne, Anne. Alternative conflict resolution and restorative justice: a discussion

As Anne Lemonne observes, advocacy and application of restorative justice have grown considerably since its emergence in the 1970s. This growth has led to a significant variety in rationales for and approaches to restorative justice. In this context, the development of victim-offender mediation has often been viewed as a key element in the implementation of restorative justice. At the same time, there has been ambiguity about the practical application of restorative justice in general and of victim-offender mediation in particular. Some have criticized aspects of the actual implementation of restorative justice, and others have criticized it for occupying a peripheral position in criminal justice. These criticisms have been aimed at times particularly at the practice of victim-offender mediation (or other alternative forms of dispute settlement such as community boards and group conferencing). With all of this in mind, Lemonne surveys developments in criminal policy and restorative justice in Norway and Denmark especially.

Madsen, Karin Sten and Andersson, Hanne. The Challenges of Mediating Rape

Many women do not feel that justice is being restored in the aftermath of sexual coercion. Mediation can renew their sense of justice.Mediation has been introduced at the Centre for Victims of Sexual Assault in Copenhagen as one way of helping women exposed to sexual coercion regain control over their lives. This presentation outlines the way in which mediation is conducted at the centre. It describes how both written correspondence between the parties and face to face meetings has proven to be useful ways of conducting the restorative process. The presentation addresses the special obstacles and possibilities for mediation posed by a situation, where: the victim and the offender often have known each other for some time; the offender does not necessarily regard what has happened as sexual coercion; the discourse of rape - 'real rape' - is dominant in the thinking of the victim and the offender and their families and friends. What has been learned in the program so far points to the fact that when it comes to restorative justice, sexual assault constitutes a particular context which makes it necessary for the mediator to be aware of the ways it is possible to talk about rape and sexual coercion and the discourses and narratives that are available to men and women in these situations. Abstract courtesy of the Centre for Justice and Peace Development, Massey University, http://justpeace.massey.ac.nz.

Henriksen, Claus Syberg. Victim-Offender Mediation in Denmark: English summary of the evaluation - carried out by CASA (the Centre of Social Analysis)

A victim-offender mediation experiment has now been going on for 4 years in Ringsted, Roskilde, and Glostrup police districts. In victim-offender mediation the victim and the offender in minor criminal cases meet voluntarily face to face to talk about what has happened. It is prerequisite that the perpetrator admits his guilt. The aim of victim-offender mediation is to give the victims the opportunity - by meeting the offender - of dealing with their fear, frustration, and irritation; feelings that may be related to the experience of being the victim of a crime. The aim for the perpetrator is to give him a sense of responsibility and is thus a crime preventive perspective. Victim-offender mediation is led by a neutral mediator. At the outset, police caseworkers ask offenders and victims if they are interested in taking part in victim-offender mediation. If both parties say yes, the cases are sent on to the mediators, who then talk to the interested victims and perpetrators and tell them more about the process and maybe make an appointment for mediation. CASA (the Centre for Alternative Social Analysis) has followed the experiment during all 4 years and this is the final evaluation. The evaluation is primarily based on questionnaires and interviews with victims and perpetrators. (Questionnaires from 57% of all participants - 61% of the victims have answered, and 54% of the perpetrators). Moreover, material has been collected from the police's and the mediators' visitation. Furthermore, some caseworkers from the police, the Chief Constables in the three police districts, and the mediators have been interviewed. CASA has participated in a number of meetings in the three police districts. (excerpt)

Brønholt, Lis Lynge. Should FGC (Family Group Conferences) be adjusted to the Mainstream Practice? Or Should the Mainstream Practice Be Adjusted to FGC? Ideals and Realities

Two days ago a new study from the Danish Social Research Institute was released. The good news is that modern way of living has not ruined the family solidarity. Most families are close-knit. Around 40\% of the new mothers talk to their mother on a daily basis. So there is still a close connection between generations. The modern nuclear family is not as isolated as researchers had expected. I attach importance to the fact that FGC is a decision making model, where user involvement and influence is an integrated part. This is a step forward in democratisation of social work. It is a clear and simple model with clear values: respect for different views and cultures; willingness to listen to all family members and focus on both strengths and problems. When I formulated the headline of this contribution I had no way of knowing whether the politicians in Denmark would make FGC a right for all families, as a reform for families and children in need was on its way. (excerpt)

Madsen, Karin Sten. Mediation in Rape - is that possible? (Mediation as a way of empowering women exposed to sexual coercion)

The efforts of the staff at The Centre for Sexual Assault in Copenhagen all aim at empowering women exposed to sexual coercion in order that further victimisation does not occur and they may regain control over their lives. With this in mind, and as a part of a research project, we have recently started to offer mediation as one of the ways in which women may reestablish their self-confidence through control over their lives and the renewal of their sense of justice. Mediation is a process through which the woman and the offender are given the opportunity to have a dialog, facilitated by one or two impartial third persons. A concrete mediation is sometimes conducted as a dialog between the two parties, but more often the dialog takes place through correspondence. We shall here introduce the thoughts and reflections behind this new initiative. (excerpt)

How Could You Do This to Me?

The Centre for Sexual Assault in Copenhagen provides many services to women who have been victimized by sexual assault. The Centre offers a victim offender mediation project to allow women to confront their attackers in face-to-face meetings or by correspondence. In this article, Karin Sten Madsen, a counselor with the Centre, explains the reasons for the programme and relates the experiences of three women who chose to participate in it.