Single-punch play highlights restorative justice

The power of restorative justice is in the spotlight as a result of the police teaming up with a theatre to present a play about victims and offenders.

The play Punch is being hosted at the Theatre Royal Plymouth and tells the story of a young man who throws a single punch that results in a death.

After serving prison time he became involved in a restorative justice process, which requires offenders to accept responsibility for their actions, with the victim's parents.

The Devon & Cornwall Police's victim care unit and Make Amends restorative justice service will be in the foyer to provide support and answer questions at the showings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.

Restorative justice is a voluntary, victim-led process which runs alongside the criminal justice system and enables the harm and pain caused by crime to be addressed with the help of a facilitator.

The process requires offenders to accept responsibility for their actions and has the potential to reduce offending by up to 27%, police said.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said: "Restorative justice is incredibly empowering because it gives victims and their families an opportunity to hold offenders to account and help them understand the harm their actions have caused.

"The liberating process is done in a safe and controlled environment in a variety of ways such as writing a letter, face-to-face and video conferencing.

"I would urge any victim of crime, whether it has been reported to the police or not, to contact the victim care unit of Devon and Cornwall Police to find out more about how restorative justice could help them with their recovery journey," she added.

Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.