Weight of crime too heavy for some

Offenders' feelings of guilt can trigger severe depression that may lead them to commit suicide, a mental health expert says.

'They want to do something to compensate for the crime but have no chance of doing so. They feel unhappy. If there is no help, the person will develop clinical depression and may commit suicide,' said Helios Lau Kar-cho, chief clinical psychologist at the Social Welfare Department.

'Victims have a lot of questions on their minds, such as why they fell prey to the crime and why the offenders did it to them. They lose trust in people. For example, victims of violent robbery may keep wondering why it happened to them and be afraid to walk the streets.'

Prison terms and other punishments provide no concrete help to victims, while restorative programmes could help the offender to 'make peace with the victim', he said.

For victims, Mr Lau said the restorative conference could give them a chance to find the answers to unresolved questions and help give them relief.

'Forgiveness can help victims drop negative feelings and it is good for their mental health. Otherwise, anger can make the victim very unhappy,' he said, adding that anger was a source of stress that would continuously affect the victim's physical and psychological health.