Victim-offender mediation, procedural justice and desistance from crime: The case of the Greek juvenile justice system

• In Event: Gender and parenting as sites of juvenile justice intervention

Abstract

Victim-offender mediation has been widely recognized as an educative practice for young offenders providing them with the chance to realize the effects of their offences to victims and society in general. It plays a crucial role in facilitating desistance from crime by promoting accountability, fostering personal transformation, and supporting reintegration. According to Article 122 of the Greek Penal Code, victim-offender mediation is classified as an educative or reformative measure imposed on juvenile offenders by judicial authorities and/or public prosecutors (Act 3189/2003). The role of a mediator is performed by probation officers (supervisors of juvenile offenders). However, given that their primary role is offender rehabilitation, concerns arise regarding the legitimacy of the mediation process. Additionally, the Greek State has not established formal guidelines outlining the mediation procedure, methodology, or the specific roles, obligations, and rights of participants. Consequently, the Greek legislator has adopted a ‘quasi-restorative’ approach, emphasizing the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders while failing to adequately address the interests and needs of (juvenile) victims. This presentation examines the implementation of court-based victim-offender mediation in Greece, drawing on findings from interviews with juvenile probation officers and an analysis of case studies. The empirical data will be analyzed in light of the procedural justice theory and the theoretical discussion on the process of desistance from crime.

Author

• Konstantinos Panagos, NATIONAL KAPODISTRIAN UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS, LAW SCHOOL