Confronting a defence lawyer who denied me justice.

Typical Sunday lol, I confronted a defence lawyer who denied me of justice today.

So earlier I went to the march for Palestine in the city.

I arrived alone, but spotted someone in the crowd of thousands: a defence lawyer who represented my perpetrator.

I’d only ever seen him in court. Suit pressed, carrying piles of paper.

A man who stood next to a KC while they grilled me on the stand, twice.

Who strung my life out for six years, hoping I’d break.

Who convinced a judge it was “not beyond reasonable doubt.”

Who helped shut the door on justice.

And there he was. In casual clothes. With his wife. His young son on his shoulders holding a pro-Palestine sign.

For ten minutes I walked behind them, wrestling with myself. Should I say something? Should I let it slide?

But then he stopped, and I walked straight up to him.

“Excuse me. Do you recognise me?”

“Yeah…” the man said, as though it was obvious.

(Fair, I only spent several hours across two cross-examinations death staring anyone who dared not to believe me)

“How’s Tim?” I asked.

“Couldn’t tell ya, we just do the case and move on.”

“Well, I hope he’s doing better.”

“All the best for the future my friend.”

He gave me a smile, we shook hands, and parted ways.

It was a bloody surreal collision of worlds.

6 years ago I wouldn’t have confronted anyone sticking up for my perpetrator.

Or if I did, I would have been spitting fire.

But now, I don’t get much out of speaking ill of him.

I was subjected to a deeply unwell man who wasn’t getting what he wanted from life.

Had he gone to therapy first, maybe I wouldn’t have had to.

(Or at least, not until I realised trauma was just the tip of the iceberg lol).

But the man said a lot without saying a lot.

A reminder that a broken legal system can force reasonable people onto unreasonable sides.

Which made it even more strange that we were side-by-side in a march for justice.

But tbh I didn’t really have much to say to him.

Seeing him was like a random test without notice in the game of healing to see how far you’ve come.

I’m just glad I had 60-odd sessions with a psych behind me.