Can Forgiveness Play a Role in Criminal Justice?

This article was heartbreaking yet also shocking to me. After such a tragedy I was surprised to see how quickly the victim's family was able to forgive. Personally, I do not think restorative justice is for everyone because I think that some criminals would abuse this system and manipulate their victim's families in the hopes of a shorter sentence. In the article's case I understood how this tragic accident could be forgiven. However,  in cases of malicious, planned out murder, I believe that the traditional criminal justice system is most effective and fair. I truly respect the Grosmarie's level of forgiveness and question if I would be capable of it.