Originally Posted by lurkette

Look, her forgiveness seems to have made more of a difference for this kid than a stiff sentence would have. Does she have a right to be angry and demand justice? Absolutely. But sometimes justice doesn't always look the way we think it should. In a way, living with someone's forgiveness is a bigger burden than living with their righteous anger. Would demanding a stiffer sentence have made her feel better? Probably not. Would having him in prison for 25 years have made a difference in her life? Probably not. Good for her for finding a way to move past the anger and the hatred, and good for him for appreciating her compassion and being grateful for it.

Originally Posted by zen_tom

She has saved this boy's and countless other lives by being so magmanamous. This boy has been made to see the consequences of his actions, and forced to come to terms with them. If he had been sent to prison, he would likely have become a hardened criminal, with little understanding about the more important things in life. This boy now has someone in his life to look up to, someone who isn't into crime or drugs or larking about.

I would lay money on the fact that he will turn out better than someone from a similar background who gets sent to jail for 10 years.

Far from it being a lesson that we are not responsible for our actions, it should be clear that this is a far clearer lesson than being sent to jail for an extended term. It is much more natural, and meaningfull, when one can see with one's own eyes, the anguish that you've directly caused to another person. When hat person forgives you, it gives you a lot to live up to.