'Part of restitution means making them whole, and making them whole means that they face their devil and tell them exactly what they want so that their healing can begin,' the judge said.
The courtroom of Judge Rosemarie Aquilina is different from what one may normally see during a trial. The judge dedicated days to those who accused Olympic gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse. Over 150 women and girls stepped forward to face Nassar, look him directly in his eyes and tell him how he hurt them. For some, it was closure. For others, it was a small sense of vengeance. For Aquilina, it was only fair.
“I think as judges, people think we pound the gavel and we’re really mean but I think the courtroom for both sides is a place of healing,” Aquilina told Newsweek. “And it’s really important for me to know that victims are heard, they’re believed, they understand that each judge, myself including, will do the best job they can to right the wrong, and of course, you never can right this wrong.”
To Aquilina, it’s all about listening. In order to sentence fairly, each side must be heard. She constantly sees past victims and defendants make a difference with their life after her trials. Both sides of the courtroom have a possibility of rehabilitation with the right response, but in Nassar’s case, Aquilina is certain there won’t be change.
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