Thomasleonard, the short answer is to cry out for vengeance.
Many Christians have the wrong idea of forgiveness, that it means reconciliation, love, and the complete paving over of past wrongs. It's an attainable thing when the offense wasn't very grave, but not quite so when the knife burrows deep and with a twist.
Jesus told the parable of the woman and the unjust judge in which the woman pesters the judge relentlessly for justice against her adversary. Finally worn down, the unjust judge grants the woman what she wants. Jesus ends the parable saying that God will surely avenge his children who cry out to him night and day. We see this again with the martyrs in heaven, saying, "How long, Lord, until you avenge our blood upon the inhabitants of the earth?" (Rev 6:10)
So why are Christians critical of other Christians who petition vengeance for crimes committed against them? Could it be that many, if not most Christians have a distorted view of forgiveness?
FORGIVENESS ISN'T ABOUT TAKING ANYONE OFF THE HOOK, IT'S ABOUT TAKING THEM OFF OUR HOOK AND PLACING THEM ON GOD'S HOOK.
We need to stop telling ourselves we're being unchristian by insisting on justice, that we're not forgiving until we have no angst or bitterness against the person, until we feel nothing but love toward that person. Nonsense. If a person slanders you behind your back and asks your forgiveness, then forgive them. If they ask it 7 times, then forgive them 7 times, or 70 times 7. But if that person molested you as a child, murdered your wife, framed you for a crime you didn't commit and sent you to prison, then forgiveness takes a different form, not the doing away of past offenses, but of bringing those offenses to a higher court by which they'll receive judgment and reciprocity far in excess of what you can possibly mete out.
No discussion of forgiveness is complete until it's made clear that God will speedily avenge those who cry out to him for vengeance, and we may do so without impunity.
