Forgiveness is the personal decision to not spend any mental or physical effort to seek the punishement of the offender. It does not speak to the guilt or innocence of the offender nor does it mean others are prevented from pursuing punishment themselves. It is one way victims can find some semblence of normalcy and move on.
I respectfully disagree. Although the one granting forgiveness may be the primary beneficiary, it does not take away from the fact that the evil done has received a sort of dispensation. Think of the idea of others pursuing the forgiven. Is it not very common that we hear in criminal court cases that the accused (or convicted) cite the forgiveness from their victims as mitigating circumstances?