Makassar, Indonesia July 28/ LCPR-RG/- Imagine being a victim of a crime. The legal system steps in, the offender apologizes, and a peace agreement is formally signed. The case is officially closed, and the authorities quickly move on to the next docket. But do you genuinely feel safe? Do you feel healed? For many victims navigating the modern legal landscape, the answer remains a heartbreaking “no.”
In recent years, the Indonesian legal system has increasingly embraced Restorative Justice
—an alternative approach that focuses on reconciliation and repairing relationships rather
than simply punishing the offender behind bars. On paper, this mechanism sounds like a
perfect, humane solution to overcrowded prisons and exhausting court battles. However, a
deeper examination of its daily implementation reveals a glaring flaw: the system
frequently rushes toward securing a signature on a peace treaty while completely ignoring
the victim’s lingering psychological trauma.
When law enforcement officers in official uniforms mediate these sensitive cases, an
unintended but very real power dynamic emerges. Victims frequently report feeling
pressured to accept a formal apology and move forward, not because they are genuinely
ready to forgive, but because they feel intimidated by the authoritative setting. In doing so,
the legal process devolves into a mere administrative checkbox, leaving deep emotional
wounds completely untreated. A true resolution requires much more than a forced
handshake; it demands profound emotional restoration and sincere remorse. The Research titled “Psychological Recovery of Crime Victims within Contemporary Restorative Justice: An Islamic Legal Perspective” was published in MILRev Journal by Elsevier on 3 September 2025
This critical oversight highlights exactly where our modern legal practices must evolve, aligning
explicitly with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-being. This
global goal demands that we ensure healthy lives and promote holistic well-being for all
individuals.
Mental health is a non-negotiable pillar of this objective. By ignoring the psychological
recovery of crime victims, the current justice mechanism fails to protect their fundamental
well-being. True justice simply cannot exist if the victim is left to battle post-traumatic
stress, chronic anxiety, and persistent fear without professional help. Restorative justice
must be restorative for the mind, not just the legal record.
To truly fix this broken dynamic, we need an integrated system that places psychological
recovery at the absolute center of the legal process. Before any mediation takes place,
victims should undergo mandatory professional psychological assessments to evaluate their
readiness. Furthermore, establishing dedicated victim recovery centers can provide the
vital long-term support needed long after the legal dust finally settles.
Justice should never be treated as a quick administrative fix. By actively integrating mental
health support into our restorative justice framework, we can build a legal system that does
not just process criminal cases, but actually heals human beings.
Reference
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32332/milrev.v4i2.11184
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Syamsuddin Muchtar, S.H., M.H.
Syamsuddin.Muchtar@unhas.ac.id
