RCE2026
Conference speakers in alphabetical order.
KU Leuven, Leuven Institute of Criminology (LINC) – Professor Emeritus
A lawyer and psychologist, Ivo Aertsen is Professor Emeritus at the KU Leuven Institute of Criminology. His principal research fields include restorative justice, mediation and victim participation. For many years, he led the institute’s research on restorative justice. He is a key figure in Leuven Restorative City and in the development of European restorative city networks.
Professional profileL’Innominato – Lecco Restorative City | Psychologist, psychotherapist and restorative mediator
Bruna Dighera is a psychologist, psychotherapist and restorative mediator, and a co-founder of the L’Innominato working group in Lecco, established in 2012. Within Lecco Restorative City, she contributes to community-based programmes built on active citizen participation. She also worked as a facilitator in the RestoCovid Circles processes. Restoring relationships and strengthening community ties are central to her work.
Professional profileUniversity of Pécs, Faculty of Law – Professor and Head of Department, Head of the Doctoral School of Law
Csongor Herke is a professor and head of department at the University of Pécs Faculty of Law, Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and Head of the Doctoral School of Law. His principal fields are criminal procedure and forensic science. He is one of the initiators and organisers of the Pécs Restorative City initiative. His current work examines European restorative city models and the institutional conditions for their adaptation in Pécs.
Professional profileUniversity of Pécs, Faculty of Law, Department of Civil Law – Assistant Professor
Barbara Katalin Herke-Fábos is an assistant professor at the University of Pécs Faculty of Law, with research interests in family law, social law and child protection. She is trained as a mediator and as a facilitator of restorative processes, and she also teaches mediation. She is a co-organiser of the Pécs Restorative City initiative. Her research focuses particularly on restorative cooperation involving children, families and institutions.
Professional profileSapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Faculty of Economic, Socio-Human and Engineering Sciences, Department of Human Sciences – Assistant Lecturer
Her research interests include ethnography, translation studies and linguistics, particularly phraseology. She is a trained restorative facilitator and a member of Sapientia University’s restorative group. She helped organise the university’s 2021 international conference on restorative practices and is involved in the Restorative Workshop Conference series. For the past three years, she has also co-facilitated community groups within the Municipality of Miercurea Ciuc’s mental health and well-being programme, promoting restorative approaches and practices locally.
Professional profileResolve West / Restorative Bristol – Restorative justice practitioner and trainer
Marian Liebmann is an internationally recognised restorative justice practitioner, mediator, trainer and art therapist, and a former director of Mediation UK. She has worked with victims and offenders and delivered training in many countries. She has been actively involved in Bristol’s development as a restorative city. She is the author of Restorative Justice: How It Works and was appointed OBE in 2013.
Professional profileUniversità degli Studi di Sassari, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences – PhD candidate
Federica Maggio holds a Master's Degree in Law and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Sassari. Her doctoral research investigates restorative city models, beginning with the experience of Tempio Pausania and comparing it with other European cities. Her work aims to map Italian good practices and support the development of new restorative programmes in schools, prisons and communities.
Professional profileIndependent professional – Clinical psychologist, senior restorative trainer and facilitator
Vidia Negrea is a clinical psychologist, senior restorative trainer and facilitator. Since 2001, she has worked to establish restorative approaches across Central and Eastern Europe. For years, she served as the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) regional representative for Eastern Europe and also as a member of the IIRP Board of Trustees. She has led restorative processes in schools, child protection, probation and prisons. She is also one of the regional pioneers of Family Group Conferencing.
Professional profileAssociazione Comunità il Gabbiano / Independent expert – Public policy expert, evaluator and consultant
Cristina Vasilescu is a public policy expert, researcher, evaluator and project design consultant, working with Associazione Comunità il Gabbiano and as an independent expert. She previously chaired the Restorative Cities Working Group of the European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ), and in 2026 she was elected to the EFRJ Board. She has accompanied the Como Restorative City initiative from its early stages. Her work connects restorative city models with community participation and policy learning.
Professional profileEarly Learning Initiative, National College of Ireland – Restorative Practice Coordinator
Emma Wheatley is Restorative Practice Coordinator at the National College of Ireland’s Early Learning Initiative. She works with schools, youth services, families and communities to strengthen relational culture. For several years, she has helped develop community-led restorative practice across Dublin’s North East Inner City. Her work is supported by action research and systematic data collection.
Professional profile