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Did You Know…
The maximum award that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority can make is…
£500,000
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MAKE A CLAIMWelcome to Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice. This website can provide you with free help and guidance if you intend to make a claim for sexual abuse or just want to learn more about making such claims. Included on this website are examples of how you could claim compensation for sexual abuse and detail the different types of abuse you could potentially receive compensation for.
Our advisors can deal with any queries you have with care and consideration. They offer legal advice that is completely free and they’re available 24/7. Furthermore, all they need is one conversation with you before they can tell you if you have a valid claim.
Also, they can indicate what you could receive, whether you’re claiming compensation for historic abuse or abuse suffered as an adult. This could include, for example, potentially claiming child abuse compensation if you suffered abuse whilst at school.
Additionally, our advisors can put you through to sexual abuse claims solicitors from our panel who can build your case. They can represent you on a No Win No Fee basis; we will explain what this means later on in this guide.
To learn more about claiming, contact our team at a time that works for you using the details below.
- Call us on the phone number above
- Use our website to contact us
- Write your query to us using the Chat window.
Read on if you wish to learn more about claiming for sexual abuse. In the next sections of this guide, we will cover different aspects of sexual abuse compensation. These include the criteria for claiming compensation for sexual abuse. This includes cases when a claimant may seek to claim historical abuse compensation. We’ll also look at examples of payouts from the CICA (The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority). You are welcome to contact us at any time if you would prefer to speak to an advisor.
The Definition Of Sexual Abuse
Sexual assault is defined by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as someone intentionally touching another person in a sexual manner without consent. This touching can be done with a body part or an object.
There are two types of child sexual abuse as defined by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) – contact and non-contact. You could potentially receive sexual abuse compensation after experiencing either, depending on the nature of the incident and how it has affected you.
Contact abuse can include:
- A body part or object being used to penetrate a child
- A child being touched sexually whilst clothed or otherwise
- A child being forced to perform sexual acts
Non-contact abuse can also be very traumatising and difficult to deal with. Conduct like this can include:
- Flashing or exposing
- Being exposed to sexual acts
- Being shown pornography
This kind of abuse can happen to you whilst you’re a child or later in life. In England and Wales, criminals are currently prosecuted under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 if they’re found guilty of sexual abuse that occurred from May 2004 onwards. If the abuse occurred before May 2004, they would be charged under the Sexual Offences Act 1956.
Our advisors could help answer any claim queries you have and discuss whether you may be eligible to receive child abuse compensation. Our team are also available to provide advice on specific types of child sexual abuse claims such as:
- Sexual abuse claims against the Catholic Church
- Sexual abuse claims in schools
- A boy scout sexual abuse claim
- Other forms of criminal sexual abuse claims
Learn More About Sexual Abuse Claims
The Latest Statistics About Sexual Abuse
The Office of National Statistics presents sexual abuse statistics for England and Wales. The latest figures are up-to-date as of March 2019. In these statistics, they used information provided by Childline to break down the reasons that children required counselling sessions.
As the chart illustrates, sexual abuse (44.55%) was the largest reason children required counselling through Childline from April 2018 to March 2019. The other reasons were physical abuse (33.22%), emotional abuse (19.78%), and neglect (2.46%).
The amount of sexual abuse compensation you get can be affected by the physical and mental impact the abuse has had on your well-being. To learn more about this, you can contact us at a time that works for you using the above details
What Support Networks Are Available For Sexual Abuse Victims?
If you’re looking into whether your eligible to start a claim for sexual abuse, then you may have suffered physical or psychological issues from such abuse that has greatly affected your life. Sexually abused victims in the UK that are after compensation for their suffering or just seeking help do not need be alone and support is available.
Rape Crisis England and Wales support Rape Crisis Centres across the two countries and provides information and services relating to sexual violence and abuse. It’s a feminist organisation that promotes the rights and needs of women and girls. Survivors UK, on the other hand, is specifically designed to help men and non-binary people who have suffered from rape and sexual abuse.
The Survivors Trust provides specialist rape and sexual abuse services across the UK. It’s the largest umbrella agency providing this kind of support. They can give you specialised information, advice, and therapy.
Furthermore, Childline provides a private and confidential service for anyone aged 19 or under. You can contact them to speak to a counsellor for free, and they can offer assistance and guidance that could help you.
The next section will detail eligibility requirements and the process involved if you do choose to pursue a claim for sexual abuse.
Criteria To Make A Sexual Abuse Compensation Claim
Sexual abuse or sexual assault is a crime. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) provides criminal injury compensation for people who have been victims of violent crime in Scotland, England, and Wales.
However, to claim compensation for sexual abuse through them, there are eligibility criteria in place. This includes:
- Reporting the crime to the police as soon as you possibly can. In cases of historic sexual abuse, the CICA may request further information regarding the length of time it has taken for the incident to be reported.
- Starting a CICA sexual abuse claim within two years of reporting the crime to the police. In most cases, you wouldn’t be able to claim without reporting the crime to the police because the CICA needs a police crime reference number.
- Being a UK resident at the time the crime took place. There are further exceptions and details to the residency criteria. You can read the full eligibility criteria in the tariff.
Furthermore, they can also withhold the award in particular circumstances. This includes if you’re adjudged not to be cooperating with the officer in charge of your case or, in certain instances if you have unspent convictions.
Is There Another Way I May Be Able To Claim Compensation?
The above is about making a criminal injury compensation claim. However, the abuse suffered by either you or your child may mean you could make a claim against the responsible person or party.
If you’re claiming directly against the person who abused you, you would need to know who they are. Furthermore, they’d need to have the funds available to award you compensation.
You could also claim against an organisation if they are vicariously liable. For instance, if a teacher has sexually abused your child and it’s revealed that the school failed to perform a DBS check before hiring them, you could potentially sue the school because of their negligence. When claiming compensation for a child, you can claim on their behalf by becoming their litigation friend. A litigation friend can be any adult who can act in the child’s best interests.
The Judicial College can help give you a better understanding of what you could receive when making a claim directly against the abuser or against a responsible organisation.
To learn more about this, please contact us 24/7 at a time that works for you.
How Long Do I Have To Claim Sexual Abuse Compensation?
If you are claiming for sexual abuse through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), you should apply to seek compensation as soon as reasonably possible. The amount of time you have is usually two years from the date you reported the abuse to the police. The CICA normally expect this to be the date that the incident occurred unless there are exceptional circumstances.
If your intention is to claim directly against the perpetrator or another vicariously liable third party, then the amount of time you currently have to claim can vary. There are numerous factors that have to be taken into account such as when the abuse occurred, how often it has happened and (if there has been a pattern of abuse) how old you were when it began.
There may be instances where a claim can be made through the CICA after the two years. For example, where have been exceptional circumstances that meant you couldn’t apply earlier. This can include cases of historic abuse.
As such, historic abuse compensation could be claimed through the CICA after two years.
Examples Of Sexual Abuse Compensation Payouts
You may be wondering how much you could receive when you claim compensation for sexual abuse. This will depend on whether you’re making a direct claim or a claim through the CICA. Additionally, the extent of the physical and psychological trauma will be considered.
Below is a table showing examples of CICA payouts you may receive if you are able to submit a successful claim to the organisation. This is based on the CICA’s tariff of injuries, which is explained within the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
Offence Type Type of Injury Amount of Compensation Description
Sexual offence - victim, any age Penile penetration that is non-consensual £22,000 This value is for penile penetration that is non-consensual of at least one of the anus, mouth or vagina. This leads to internal injury to the body that is serious in nature.
Assault of a sexual nature £3,300 This value is for oral-genital or severe penetrative non-penile act(s).
Assault of a sexual nature £1,000 This value is for minor sexual acts that are non-penetrative and take place over clothing.
Assault of a sexual nature £27,000 This value is for sexual assault that causes mental illness that is disabling and permanent. This is confirmed as being severe through psychiatric prognosis.
Penile penetration that is non-consensual £33,000 This value is for penile penetration that is non-consensual of at least one of the vagina, anus or mouth. This results in internal bodily injury that is serious as it causes permanent, disabling and moderate mental illness shown by psychiatric prognosis.
Sexual offence - victim is a child Assault of a sexual nature £4,400 This value is for at least two isolated assault incidents that are sexual in nature involving one or more oral genital or non-penile penetrative act(s).
Penile penetration that is non-consensual £11,000 This value is for an incident involving penile penetration that is non-consensual of one or more of the anus, vagina or mouth.
Assault of a sexual nature £2,000 This value is for a physical sexual act(s) that is non-penetrative and serious in nature that occurs under clothing.
Assault of a sexual nature £8,200 This value is for frequent and repetitive assault incidents of a sexual nature that involve at least one oral genital or non-penile penetrative act(s). These acts would have taken place for at least three years or more.
Penile penetration that is non-consensual £44,000 This value is for penile penetration that is not consensual of at least one of vagina, anus or mouth, resulting in a serious internal bodily injury. This leads to severe, disabling and permanent mental illness shown by a psychiatric prognosis.
Furthermore, there are other types of compensation you could receive as part of a sexual abuse claim made to the CICA. You may be able to receive payment for special expenses as part of your sexual assault compensation if you meet the following criteria:
- The injury has caused lost earnings or earning capacity for more than 28 weeks. Most special expenses will be paid from the date of the incident, but a loss of earnings will only be compensated from the 29th week onwards.
- The requirement you’re claiming for is a necessity. This could potentially include specialist support and care you need.
- That there is no way you could receive the same service for free.
- It is a reasonable expense.
If you make a direct claim for sexual abuse against the party responsible, then you can view compensation brackets from the Judicial College Guidelines to get a rough estimate. Unlike examples of CICA payouts, the compensation awards when making a direct claim are not based on specific tariffs. Payouts vary on a case-by-case basis. A solicitor supporting your claim may use the Judicial College Guidelines for reference when assessing the value of your claim, since the brackets in them are based on previous compensation awards that have been made for different injuries.
Get in touch with our team today for more information. One of our advisors could connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel; read on to see what this means.
Could A No Win No Fee Solicitor Help With My Historical Abuse Compensation Claim?
Whether you’re a child abuse survivor or seeing if you can claim sexual abuse compensation for an event that occurred as an adult, it may be beneficial for you to use a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel.
The benefits of using a No Win No Fee solicitor include:
- Not paying your solicitor’s legal fees during the claims process, or before they start working on your claim.
- Only paying their legal costs at the end of a successful claim. They will take a small, legally capped success fee from your compensation to cover their legal fees.
- You won’t have to pay them anything in the event that you aren’t awarded compensation.
For more info on claiming compensation for historic abuse or other forms of sexual assault with No Win No Fee solicitors, you can contact our team today.
Speak To Us About Making A Sexual Abuse Compensation Claim
You can contact our advisors for free. They’re available 24/7 and can handle your case in a caring and confidential manner.
Furthermore, they can connect you to sexual abuse claims solicitors from our panel who could help you receive compensation. Contact them at a time that works for you using the below details.
- Call us using the above phone number
- Use our website to contact us
- Write to us with your query through the Live Chat window.
Further Guidance About Claiming Sexual Abuse Compensation
Use the below links to learn more about the support you could receive.
The Hardship Fund may be of use to those who have taken time off a low-paid job because of a violent crime, but aren’t eligible to claim through the CICA.
You can report a crime or incident online.
The NHS also provides support if you’ve suffered from rape and sexual assault.
You can also check out some more of our other guides below:
- Can I Claim Child Abuse Compensation?
- The Complete Guide to Sexual Abuse Claims
- Can I Claim Compensation For Historical Abuse?
- How Much Compensation Can You Claim For Sexual Abuse?
- Where Can I Find The Best Sexual Abuse Claims Solicitors?
- Can I Claim Compensation For A Sexual Assault At Work?
If you want to, you are welcome to contact our team at a time that works for you to know more about receiving sexual abuse compensation. We can answer any queries you have confidentially. Use the above contact details to learn more.
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