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Youth Offending Team
Lancashire Youth Offending Team
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During the early hours, a lady, who lives alone in her home, woke up to discover a young man at the foot of her bed. Her home had been burgled. She was terrified. The youth and his accomplice, who had been keeping watch by the back door, both fled.
The two youths were subsequently arrested and charged with the offence of burglary and dealt with by the courts. During their meetings with their caseworker from the Youth Offending Team, both youths indicated that they were prepared to meet the lady with a view to repairing the damage they had caused. The lady, who was now extremely angry, was initially reluctant to meet with the two young men but would give the matter some thought.
The circumstances were referred to two volunteer mediators who arranged directly with the parties to visit them at their homes. The mediators explained to the lady the nature of the service and she was now very willing to meet the two young men.
Some months following the offence the lady met on seperate occasions with the two youths. Both meetings were very emotive. The lady was still very angry. She wanted questions answering and the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Courts were unable to help. Only the two young men who committed the offence could provide answers to what she wanted to know.
The sessions commenced with the lady expressing her anger followed by a healthy exchange of dialogue. The young men apologised sincerely from the heart for what they had done. Each meeting lasted for 40 minutes.
Six months following the session, the two young men were asked how meeting the lady had affected them and they answered,
"Before I used to think about robbing all the time. Now I think of it every now and then and when I do I know how to push it away. I'm not saying I'll never do it ever again, but at the moment I think I probably won't."
"I saw how upset the old lady was - she had a little cry... it made me feel scared about what I'd done."
Neither of the young men have been in trouble with the police since the meeting.
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