Therapeutic Prosecutions?

The document examines how the International Criminal Court's (ICC) approach to victim and witness participation can contribute to healing and social recognition for those affected by mass violence. It highlights that while the court process can provide a sense of justice and a public platform for suffering, its therapeutic success depends on procedural justice—specifically benevolence, neutrality, and respect—and the provision of psychosocial support. The brief also notes the tension between the court's legal objectives and victims' expectations for reparations, which some may perceive as a means of silencing their accounts.

• The therapeutic potential of the ICC is heavily dependent on procedural justice, where witnesses define a "fair process" based on three specific criteria: benevolence (perceived care from officials), neutrality (an unbiased forum), and respect (professional and dignified treatment).
• Court proceedings can offer significant healing potential by providing social recognition and a public platform for victims to confirm their suffering and disclose previously unknown parts of their stories.
• While reparations are a key goal for some, they can be viewed negatively by others as a method of "paying one's way out" or silencing the victims.
• Participation in international trials is often viewed as a meaningful and necessary act by victims, despite the burdens of long trial durations, limited punishments for perpetrators, and the stress of reliving trauma.
• The ICC has established specific structural units to manage the needs of victims and witnesses: the Victims Participation and Reparation Section (VPRS) for legal and psychological support, and the Victims and Witnesses Unit (VWU) for safety and well-being advice.

APA

Skjelsbæk, I., Sveaass, N., & Kvaale, R. M. G. (2015). Therapeutic Prosecutions? Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ebfb9c00-ff4e-48f6-a27b-907c1ea15b45/Skjelsbaek Sveaass Kvaale - Therapeutic Prosecutions PRIO Policy Brief 4-2015.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Skjelsbæk, Inger, Nora Sveaass, and Rikke Marie Gjerde Kvaale. Therapeutic Prosecutions? Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2015. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ebfb9c00-ff4e-48f6-a27b-907c1ea15b45/Skjelsbaek Sveaass Kvaale - Therapeutic Prosecutions PRIO Policy Brief 4-2015.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Skjelsbæk |first1=Inger |last2=Sveaass |first2=Nora |last3=Kvaale |first3=Rikke Marie Gjerde |title=Therapeutic Prosecutions? |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2015 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ebfb9c00-ff4e-48f6-a27b-907c1ea15b45/Skjelsbaek Sveaass Kvaale - Therapeutic Prosecutions PRIO Policy Brief 4-2015.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{skjelsbk2015therapeutic, author = {Skjelsbæk, Inger and Sveaass, Nora and Kvaale, Rikke Marie Gjerde}, title = {{Therapeutic Prosecutions?}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2015}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ebfb9c00-ff4e-48f6-a27b-907c1ea15b45/Skjelsbaek Sveaass Kvaale - Therapeutic Prosecutions PRIO Policy Brief 4-2015.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }