The Acholi system of justice is complex and often more violent than this forgiveness ceremony would suggest. People caught committing a crime, such as stealing or murder, often face mob justice and usually end up dead if the police do not arrive fast enough. While this seems like a contradiction from the above description, it is consistent within the community because what really matters is that the offender must ask for forgiveness of their own volition, and not be induced to do so by a fear for their life. Only if the community is satisfied that the offense will never be committed again is the person allowed to ask for mato oput.