A VICTIM of a serious crime has described how meeting the offender has helped them get over the incident and move forward with their life.

The pair came face to face as part of the scheme Restorative Together in which offenders and victims meet and talk about the incident.

Restorative Together has been awarded the Restorative Service Quality Mark after being used following a range of crimes including social media conflicts, sexual assault and murder.

The victim, who took part in the Wiltshire Police led initiative, said: “After the meeting I was exhausted as the whole process was very tiring. At the same time I also felt lighter and better.

“I couldn’t hate him anymore after having met him face to face and heard what he had to say. This was a big shift for me as I had hated him my whole adult life.

“I can’t praise Restorative Together enough. The facilitators did such a great job and the meeting was very moving. I feel purged.

"I've carried it for so many years and it has been lifted. I didn't expect that. It's not festering anymore. I can put it to rest.”

Ex-offender and former drug addict Peter Woolf had spent 18 years in prison and came face to face with one of his victims through the programme. He had fought victim Will Riley after breaking into Mr Riley's home.

Following the meeting in which the men discussed the incident and effect on the victim and his family, Mr Woolf stopped committing crimes and taking drugs.

Mr Woolf said: "Restorative Justice is the single most powerful thing anyone can go through, whether that is in the criminal justice system or in a school system.

"It is the single most positive thing I have ever encountered."

The experience can lead to a reduction in reoffending and was a positive meeting for 85 per cent of victims.

It has been successful in schools, workplaces and children’s services as well as in the criminal justice system.

Wiltshire Police has run the scheme for 18 months and plans are in place to deliver restorative justice training to every officer by June 2018.

Restorative Justice coordinator, Inger Lowater said, “I'm very proud of what our team here achieves, and whilst some cases are more complex than others it's important that our work continues on such a wide spectrum to ensure that we help victims of crime reach some level of resolution and that future crimes can be prevented.”