Apology penalties may seem a little light as a sentence to some people, and it certainly may be. Apologies, however, do play an important role in some situations. What good would an apology do in child molestation cases?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Sadly, many child molest cases go unpunished. They can be hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Often all that can be done is to have the investigation on record in case the perpetrator is ever accused again and to offer help to the victim. Some reasons children hesitate to come forward includes fear of harm from the suspect or fear of sending the family member or friend to prison. Children get traumatized by the parents' reactions, the guilt they carry during the period of secrecy, and the guilt they feel when they disclose what the perpetrator did. If a perpetrator apologizes and takes full responsibility for his own actions, it is a huge relief from the victim. It is especially helpful if the perpetrator thanks the victim for reporting the abuse so the offender could get help for his own problem. Who knows, maybe the perpetrator also gains some kind of peace from helping the victim recover.