Restorative justice and terrorist crimes: An experience in the Spanish context

Abstract

In 2011, a pioneering experience of restorative justice was carried out in Spain through restorative encounters between individuals who had suffered the violence of the terrorist organization ETA and those who had exercised it. These encounters, unthinkable at first, were the seed of a practice that is currently becoming more frequent. This article offers a brief introduction outlining the differences between retributive and restorative justice and then describes the experience taking into consideration the motivation of both victims and perpetrators, the conditions needed to make them possible and the outcomes. This article also provides information regarding the number of encounters, where they took place and who the people in charge of their design and implementation were. The author acted as a mediator in the encounters and provides an account from her perspective as one of the key people involved in the process.