Restorative Encounters in Terrorist Victimization in Spain: Theoretical Reflections and Practical Insights from Social Work

Authors

  • Alberto Jose Olalde Social Worker

Keywords:

Restorative justice, terrorism victimization, ETA, social work, Justicia restaurativa, victimización terrorista, trabajo social

Abstract

After the ceasefire announcement by the terrorist organization ETA in 2011, new horizons and scenarios of peace have opened in the Basque Country, a land that has been badly hurt by violence over several decades.

Restorative justice, a new paradigm for an old kind of justice, the reparation of the harm caused to victims and their consequent importance in the judicial process, has been knocking at our door for a long time. Since the beginning of this decade, following European trends, our country has begun to implement restorative justice at different levels.

This article wants to bring the reader closer to understanding of the possibilities which restorative justice offers to the victims of terrorism. We describe the central elements of the restorative encounters held between ex-members of ETA and direct or indirect victims. Furthermore, we support our restorative intervention with theoretical arguments and practical examples from social work.

Tras el anuncio del cese de la actividad armada por parte de la organización armada ETA, en 2011, nuevos escenarios y horizontes de pacificación se abren en la historia para esta tierra, castigada por la violencia durante decenas de años.

La Justicia restaurativa, un nuevo paradigma para una vieja reivindicación, la reparación de la víctima y su protagonismo en la resolución y abordaje de las consecuencias de los conflictos penales, lleva años asomando a nuestro contexto. Tras la incorporación de España a principios de esta década a las corrientes europeas, se constata la validación de la práctica restaurativa.

Este artículo quiere acercar a la persona lectora la comprensión de las posibilidades de justicia restaurativa en victimización terrorista. Describimos los elementos centrales de los encuentros restaurativos celebrados entre ex miembros de ETA y víctimas directas e indirectas. Y nos apoyamos en elementos teóricos y prácticos del trabajo social para nuestra intervención restaurativa.

DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER FROM SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2362472

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Author Biography

Alberto Jose Olalde, Social Worker

Social Worker. Lecturer, School of Social Work, University of Basque Country. Experienced mediator in family and criminal matters. European Master in Mediation. Phd. candidate in social intervention and mediation, the University of Murcia. University of the Basque Country. School of Social Work. Los Apraiz 2, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz. Spain. albertojose.olalde@ehu.es

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Published

19-06-2013

How to Cite

Olalde, A. J. (2013) “Restorative Encounters in Terrorist Victimization in Spain: Theoretical Reflections and Practical Insights from Social Work”, Oñati Socio-Legal Series, 4(3), pp. 404–426. Available at: https://opo.iisj.net/index.php/osls/article/view/282 (Accessed: 28 March 2024).