A shocking new image of the victim of a brutal assault has been released, just days after he visited one of his attackers in prison and forgave him.

Paul Kohler, 56, a university lecturer, was brutalized by a drink and drug-fuelled gang of four Polish men who burst into his home in Wimbledon, west London, in the summer of 2014.

The 20-minute beating left him with a fractured eye socket, a fracture to his left jawbone, a broken nose and bruising.

Shocking: This newly-released picture shows university lecturer Paul Kohler immediately after he was savagely beaten by four Polish men who barged into his house and left him with severe injuries

A newly-published image from the immediate aftermath of the attack shows the huge swelling around Mr Kohler's eye, which can barely open and glows a livid shade of purple.

Blood pours from his nose and lips as the dazed law academic, who teaches at London's School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS), struggles to focus on the camera.

But despite the extent of his injuries, Mr Kohler made the decision to meet one of his jailed assailants - and forgave him for his crimes.

Road to recovery: Mr Kohler, left recovering from his wounds and, right, back to normal, met one of his attackers as part of a 'restorative justice' project

Family: Mr Kohler is pictured above with his family - from left to right are daughters Tamara and Saskia, wife Samantha and daughter Eloise

Mariusz Tomaszewski, a 33-year-old cage fighter, spoke to Mr Kohler for an hour and a half from his cell in a HMP Whitemoor, Cambridgeshire, and apologised for the attack.

At the end of the meeting, the two shook hands.

Forgiven: Mariusz Tomaszewski, 33, spoke to Mr Kohler from his prison cell

He pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm and aggravated burglary and is serving a 19-year prison sentence.

Speaking to the Wimbledon Guardian, Mr Kohler said the criminal was 'terrified' of seeing him, but made clear he was 'remorseful' over the attack.

He made the visit on last week, accompanied by his wife Samantha MacArthur, 51, and his daughter Eloise, 25.

The visit was arranged by Why Me?, a victims' charity which arranged 'restorative justice' meetings between criminals and those they abused.

Mr Kohler said: 'It was quite scary initially. He was obviously terrified.

'Conversation was stilted at first - the facilitator from Why Me? was very good making sure there were no gaps and dialogue ensued.'

'He was remorseful and regretful but realistic – he was reflective. He knows he failed before and couldn't make a cast-iron promise he wouldn't do it again.'

'We would have moved on either way, but it's nice to forgive someone'.

He is due to have similar meetings with at least two more of his attackers next year.

Speaking to the Evening Standard, Mr Kohler revealed that the men shook hands after their meeting.

Vindication: Mr Kohler is pictured above with his wife and daughters after his attackers' sentences - ranging from 13 to 19 years - were delivered

He said: 'At the end of the meeting I took the decision to shake his hand, so did Sam and Eloise.

'It was not pre-planned it just felt like the right thing to do. The act of forgiving someone is incredibly powerful.

He said: 'That’s one of the four attackers I can forgive. I believe his apology was genuine.

'He didn’t try and minimise what he had done. He said he was very sorry, was aware he had fallen from grace, and was aware of his weaknesses.

'He said he would do his utmost not to do it again, and I felt he was genuinely remorseful and reflective.

'He spoke about his past on our prompting, but I realised that was not relevant because as I said to him, many people have a difficult life but do not do what he did.

'I’m more interested in moving on.'

Referring to Tomaszewski's behaviour during the attack, Mr Kohler said: 'He was the one during the attack with some compassion. He picked up the cabinet but I could see he didn’t want to hit me with it.

'He was miming the act of hitting me, like in wrestling. You could see he was not psychotic. I saw that in him at the time.'

Mr Kohler said he and his family grilled Tomaszewski about how he would change, and heard that he was trying to learn better English and honing his skills as a chef.

Tomaszewski has a substantial criminal history in Poland, including several burglary convictions, but said he is trying to turn his life around.