An IRA Bomber and a Victim's Daughter
On Tuesday, former Irish Republican Army (IRA) activist Pat Magee, who was convicted of the Brighton bombings in 1984, met Jo Berry, daughter of Sir Anthony Berry, one of the five victims killed in the blast.
Though Magee had been given eight life sentences, he was freed in 1999 under the negotiated terms of the Good Friday Agreement of 1999. Magee's conviction was based on his planning of the bomb and for attempting to kill British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who was attending a conference at the Grand Hotel in Brighton (above), where the bomb was planted.
Magee and Berry met at the House of Commons, a high profile meeting place, hosted by The Forgiveness Project and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Conflict Issues. The intention of the meeting was to open up a dialogue related to the blast. What took place is fascinating in light of what the ex-offender said publicly and also what the victim's daughter said. Did this public meeting bring healing of any kind to the victims or their family members? Is this an example of restorative justice at work?
For more about this event read the following articles, including coverage by The Times, a generic wire story posted by CNN News, and an article written before the event by The Forgiveness Project also printed by The Times. Each article is interesting in what is covered, what is not covered, and what is emphasized.
For someone like myself, who has spent many years working with victims of violent crime and exploring ways they can experience restorative justice through victim-offender dialogue, the meeting between Magee and Berry speaks volumes. Magee was pressed by questioners regarding whether he felt remorse for his actions. One questioner asked if he had "repented". He answer was unclear. Magee said this, "I don't understand repentance. I think it has a religious meaning. I can regret." Magee explained what he meant. "I did what I felt needed to be done." Magee was asked if he had asked for forgiveness. He said: "Why do I need to ask forgiveness for that? But I can feel regret."
Jo Berry said that Magee was "working for peace now". She and Magee have appeared numerous times together since his release under the 1999 agreement. Berry was asked if she had forgiven Pat Magee. Berry's response was, "Forgiveness is a word I find very difficult to use. I prefer the word understanding."
As you can imagine, this event at Parliament has caused quite a stir. Many are questioning why the event was sanctioned -- especially since it appears that Magee has not taken responsibility for his crimes. In the attached articles he explains that he felt he had "no other choice" than to plant the bomb. He regrets the killing of Berry's father, however. Sometimes the logic of violence followed by the true believers committed to a cause makes no sense. That logic seems to be based on the theory that the ends justify the means. In other comments made by Magee he reflected on not feeling a need to show remorse, or make apologies, since the violence committed against the people of Ireland, from the perspective of the IRA, has never been something that the British government has apologized for. Thus, we see the long and tortured history of the IRA and a region wracked by violence in Northern Ireland.
Reflecting on restorative justice principles I conclude the following: Could there be more healing and restoration in the lives of the victims? Since we are only looking at the impact on one victim's family, Sir Anthony Berry, we can only look here at Jo Berry. Ms. Berry seems to have experienced some kind of healing, enough to appear with Magee not once but numerous times. For her, she has experienced some kind of healing by meeting Pat Magee. I would assume that his expression of "regret" has some positive effect on her. She has sought to "understand" Magee and perhaps the day of the bombing and the loss of her father. Could she experience more healing? I think so.
Restorative justice processes would encourage direct accountability by the offender. Often, mediated victim-offender dialogue, and sometimes expanded circles that include family members of each, does not occur unless the offender takes responsibility for his actions. Victim offender dialogue is typically victim-initiated. This encounter or contact between Magee and Berry was not mediated as such, but it seems to have had a positive impact on both the victim and the offender. Yet, one would wonder would the victim experience more healing if Magee expressed more than "regret"? His expression of regret appears to convey his belief that the violence was justified. Magee said, "there were no other options." During a restorative justice dialogue victims often want to know what future intentions the offender has. That is, could the offender be capable of such violence again? Victims want to know if their families could be targeted again. Thus, Magee's response is not something that would give a restorative justice practitioner encouragement.
Restorative justice seeks to hold offenders accountable while opening doors for healing and restoration of victims, as much as possible, and the communities also injured by crime. These meetings thus far between Magee and Berry fall short when measuring the potential healing that might occur through restorative justice processes. The potential for change or transformation of the offender is not something we underestimate in the restorative justice movement. Has Magee experienced that change? Yes and no. But the contact with Jo Berry has had some kind of impact on him. And meeting Pat Magee has had some kind of impact on the life of Jo Berry. There is potential for more.
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