A Birmingham woman who was racially abused by a man on a dating app has received a face-to-face apology from him as part of our restorative justice process.
The woman in her 20s reported the man’s behaviour to us after his racist comments left her shocked and upset.
His words had undermined her confidence and self-esteem but she had the courage to tell our officers about what had happened.
Police traced the man, also in his 20s, who agreed to take part in our restorative justice scheme and talk to the woman he had racially abused.
Restorative justice sees offenders make amends in ways which directly benefit those who have been harmed by their actions.
It often gives victims the chance to challenge the offender’s behaviour and explain the impact it has had on their lives.
It is only possible if both the victim, as well as the offender, agree to take part.
In this case the woman wanted to meet the man who had racially abused her.
So our trained specialists supervised the meeting during which she was able to explain how his words had made her feel.
He in turn said he took full responsibility for his actions and apologised for what he had said.
PC Faye Ford from the Birmingham Partnerships Restorative Justice team, said: “This meeting seems to have had a really positive impact on both the woman and the offender.
“She told us the process had left her feeling empowered and that she did accept his apology.
“While he said he’d never behave in the same way again and pledged to learn more about just how badly people can be affected by racism.”