Historical abuse in Dutch Catholic institutions: A qualitative evaluation of victim-survivors' experiences with redress procedures.

This article examines victim-survivors' experiences with various redress procedures addressing historical institutional abuse by Catholic clergy in the Netherlands, focusing on complaint and compensation processes, civil litigation, and mediation. Based on interviews with 18 claimants, the study finds that the Reporting Centre was often perceived as rigid, adversarial, and emotionally taxing, while the Commission for Help, Recognition, and Reparation (Committee HEG) combined clearer procedures with empathetic engagement. The Temporary Regulation provided standardized financial compensation but lacked personalized recognition, especially for gendered harms such as forced labour experienced by women in Good Shepherd institutions. Mediation processes, particularly the non-institutional Triptych restorative mediation, were generally viewed as more participatory and emotionally supportive, fostering victim agency and dialogue, though concerns about mediator independence and procedural limits remained. The study highlights the importance of minimizing evidentiary burdens, adopting trauma-informed narrative practices, and coupling public acknowledgment with emotional safety to enhance procedural and restorative justice in redress mechanisms.