Compassionate treatment (5)
I believe the answer is:
mercy
'compassionate treatment' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for mercy that I've seen before include "Leniency and compassion towards offenders" , "Shakespeare 'The quality of . . . . . is not strained'" , "Its quality is not strained, Portia said" , "Compassion for the unfortunate" , "Compassion or forgiveness" .)