Offenders will face up to their victims

SUPPORT for victims will be at the heart of a new crime initiative launched in Bersted and Barnham.

Details surrounding the restorative justice project, which aims to empower the community by tackling anti-social behaviour and low-level crime, have been unveiled.

Paul Wotherspoon, Arun’s cabinet member for community development, said: “The scheme is about giving those in the community who have been effected by crimes like anti-social behaviour back a voice.

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“By being able to talk with the person who has caused them harm and asking the questions they want they are given back control.”

The pilot scheme, Restorative Arun: Giving Communities a Voice, will allow people affected by nuisance behaviour to sit down with those responsible.

It will give victims the chance to say how they feel and the perpetrator can explain their actions and agree to repair the harm they have caused. The meetings will be managed by a team of trained volunteers.

Ex-offender Peter Woolf said being part of the process had helped him turn his 
life around.

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“Before this, victims were just a piece of paper, but when I met them and could see what my actions had caused, it became a reality.”

Also at the project’s launch last Wednesday was detective chief inspector Jane Derrick, Sussex Police’s commander for the Arun district, and police and crime commissioner Katy Bourne.

Mrs Bourne said: “When I took up this post I was tasked with writing a policing plan. I did this by looking at all of the things people had told me about how they wanted policing to work and what they wanted from Sussex Police.

“From this there were four key areas, bubbles as I call them. People said they wanted us to be victim focused, provide value for money, give public confidence and look at crime and community safety.

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“Restorative justice I think falls into two of these categories – it is victim-focused and it looks at restoring public confidence.

“It gives victims a voice and helps them feel empowered and it shows we are taking action to combat crime.”

Det Ch Insp Derrick said: “This can give us a legacy. It can make a real difference to the lives of those effected by crime.

“Restorative justice puts the victim at the heart of what is going on and helps them to move forward. It will show those committing the crimes the consequences their actions have on real people.”

The scheme will be piloted in Bersted, Barnham and Angmering for an initial year.

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