ABSTRACT
The potential of restorative justice (RJ) to respond to rape has been carefully considered by feminists, with a particular focus on the possibilities for repairing the harms of rape, and the risks of entrenching the harm or causing further harm. This chapter discusses the key debates as to the conceptualisation of rape, and different theories of the harm of rape, arguing that it should be understood as damaging the personhood of the female subject. Unlike criminal justice, however, RJ can provide recognition and reparation for the particular harms the victim-survivor suffers, and those caused to others in her communities through the mutual dependence integral to identity formation. The RJ offers the possibility for victim-survivors to voice their experiences, which can contribute to a remaking of the self. In terms of formal validation, RJ offers something different from criminal justice.
