I don't think we can ever forgive someone for their mistakes or bad behavior. Only they can do that. We can't let anyone off the hook for their abuses against us. We can only decide what to do with the pain and damage they caused us.

Personally, it would help me to watch a person who previously abused me work through the issues that caused them to hurt me, or maybe even help them work though those issues. As a result, I would know that they were acknowledging what happened and how it hurt me, and would be less likely to do it again to me or others. That would mean that my pain was not without purpose and not without a healing of humanity in some small way. I would also know that some respect for me was restored. I don't need that for my own self-respect, but it would feel good knowing that someone who formerly abused and disrespected me, now had respect for my pain and for my dignity as a human being. That would help me feel safer being me in the world, and restore more of my faith or trust in humanity.