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Rape victim meets attacker to forgive him | Rape victim meets attacker to forgive him |
(35 minutes later) | |
A rape victim has met her attacker in prison to tell him she has forgiven him - and called it a "great" experience to seek "peace and forgiveness together". | A rape victim has met her attacker in prison to tell him she has forgiven him - and called it a "great" experience to seek "peace and forgiveness together". |
Katja Rosenberg, 40, from London, said she felt she could forgive soon after the 2006 rape, believing things must have gone wrong in her attacker's life. | |
"You wouldn't ever do that if you felt happy," she told BBC Radio 5 live. | "You wouldn't ever do that if you felt happy," she told BBC Radio 5 live. |
Of their meeting last year, she said he was "completely" remorseful and "so focused" on no longer being violent. | Of their meeting last year, she said he was "completely" remorseful and "so focused" on no longer being violent. |
Ms Rosenberg was cycling home from a drink after work when she was attacked by a 16-year-old stranger. | |
He was jailed for 14 years after admitting that attack and another rape of a 51-year-old woman shortly afterwards. | He was jailed for 14 years after admitting that attack and another rape of a 51-year-old woman shortly afterwards. |
"I realised very much straight away or after the incident, it hadn't really or would not traumatise me the way it usually traumatises people," Ms Rosenberg told 5 live's Victoria Derbyshire. | "I realised very much straight away or after the incident, it hadn't really or would not traumatise me the way it usually traumatises people," Ms Rosenberg told 5 live's Victoria Derbyshire. |
"It had a very strong impact on my life but not so much in the way that I couldn't make peace with that having been done to me, strangely more about life being very sad or things going wrong in life. | "It had a very strong impact on my life but not so much in the way that I couldn't make peace with that having been done to me, strangely more about life being very sad or things going wrong in life. |
"I felt very, very sad, but I didn't feel attacked." | "I felt very, very sad, but I didn't feel attacked." |
She continued: "Life deals very different cards to all of us, and why somebody does something which is not applaudable - it was more about thinking, something's wrong with society. | She continued: "Life deals very different cards to all of us, and why somebody does something which is not applaudable - it was more about thinking, something's wrong with society. |
"Some of us don't know where to go. You wouldn't ever do that if you felt happy." | "Some of us don't know where to go. You wouldn't ever do that if you felt happy." |
Ms Rosenberg, who was also punched in the face, chest and stomach before being raped, said she had always felt in the years since that she should meet her attacker. | |
She finally visited him in prison last September, for a meeting arranged through the restorative justice scheme with the support of the Probation Service. | |
Partly, this was motivated by a wish to assure him "life's not hopeless, that he knows he's got a future", she said. | Partly, this was motivated by a wish to assure him "life's not hopeless, that he knows he's got a future", she said. |
"I just felt I could give that. I also thought the exchange would be good for me to somehow get some kind of closure - I mean, I didn't really need a 'Sorry', but it was somehow just good to see that you walk into the same direction of peace and forgiveness together." | "I just felt I could give that. I also thought the exchange would be good for me to somehow get some kind of closure - I mean, I didn't really need a 'Sorry', but it was somehow just good to see that you walk into the same direction of peace and forgiveness together." |
She added: "He was in no way looking for excuses or explanations. He was very, very self-effacing - and I thought that was fantastic in itself. | She added: "He was in no way looking for excuses or explanations. He was very, very self-effacing - and I thought that was fantastic in itself. |
"He just really is very, very upset about his past." | "He just really is very, very upset about his past." |
In the Daily Mirror newspaper, columnist Alison Phillips said Ms Rosenberg's story was "incredibly inspirational" and that she had "taken control of what happened to her that day". | In the Daily Mirror newspaper, columnist Alison Phillips said Ms Rosenberg's story was "incredibly inspirational" and that she had "taken control of what happened to her that day". |
Ms Rosenberg told 5 live: "It's just great to go to a healthy place together. It's just great to go to a place that overrides or reaches beyond what happened." | Ms Rosenberg told 5 live: "It's just great to go to a healthy place together. It's just great to go to a place that overrides or reaches beyond what happened." |