Just deserts?

Oh sorry Nonu I was just asking what your opinion was of the questions I was considering!

I think it is mitigating in the sense that one might find their actions easier to forgive, but to me that doesn't mean their punishment should be shortened. Which leads me to another question: is someone whom you don't (can't) entirely trust (because, for instance, of the long term effects of childhood abuse on that particular person), is that person forgivable?

I feel that I forgive them on one level by recognising that abuse has damaged them so much that they have no proper sense of right and wrong (or at least, not a useful sense, one that stops them behaving in unacceptable ways), but I still think they should be prevented, by losing their freedom, from repeating the offence.

So, I'm back to where I was before: sorry for them in part, but not completely.

So no, in effect it doesn't mitigate.

It explains but doesn't mitigate. A high percentage of abused children go on to become responsible adults. Those who are so corrupted by their experiences that they become dangerous to others have to comply with attempts to control their behaviour, or be prevented from doing it again by the authorities. Forgiveness doesn't come into it - it rarely has any effect on the likelihood of the offender doing it again, but probably helps some people deal with what has happened to them.

Well put, when. Thanks.