John 9 narrates the story of Jesus healing a man born blind on a Sabbath, challenging the rules of the Pharisees. The Pharisees' refuse to acknowledge their sin and Jesus makes clear their guilt remains as long as they think they see but don't.
Forgive and forget. Don't judge. Remember we are all sinners. There are actually times when grace means to pronounce judgment and bring accountability.
We often focus on the actions of man in the process of determining whether real repentance has taken place. However, repentance is much more than this and our understanding of it will make a significant difference in how we look at those who have been called to repentance after crushing others under their authority or power.
Is a church leader, by nature of the office he holds, the "Lord's anointed" as David calls King Saul in 2 Samuel 1:14?
Biblical repentance is difficult to understand. The word is used freely as though everyone gets it. But identifying the actual repentant heart is not so easy. Restitution can help.