We agree on one thing then, for that's the impasse I also am at.

However, does letting one go without punishment simply enable the bad behavior by telling them it was forgivable in the first place? That all the horrors and suffering they caused simply vanished so we can play house again. Is it even worth reconciling with such beasts, or should they be tamed back into livestock instead of being offered a seat at the table?

Its a hard question to answer, at least for me.