They said: “I think we all needed it, and I think he needed it too because you could clearly see he was sorry.

“We were raised by good people, so to bring that out and remember that it’s something mom probably would have done – that’s one of the reasons we did it.

“We’ve had a lot of hate for so long, and the hate is exhausting, it’s mentally and physically tiring. We will never forgive, never forgive, but I don’t hate him.

A meeting between the victim and offenders is organized by highly trained facilitators and each case is examined individually to see if it is the right thing to do. Donna and Vicky’s story was shared by Lancashire Police to mark Restorative Justice Week 2024.

Helena Cryer, Restorative Justice Lead for Lancashire Police, said: “Restorative Justice Week is really important to raise awareness of what restorative justice does.

“It can, for the right people and under the right circumstances, be life-changing. We always encourage anyone interested in the RJ procedure to contact us.

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