In this guide, we discuss whether you can make a claim if your stepfather sexually abused you. We explain what sexual abuse is and when you could be eligible to make a criminal injury claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). This government-sponsored organisation administers a compensation scheme for victims of violent crimes across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Can I Claim If My Stepfather Sexually Abused Me?
We also explore what evidence will be beneficial when claiming through this method and what compensation you could receive. Our guide outlines how the tariffs of injuries provided by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 could be used to value your claim.
Furthermore, our guide also discusses how a No Win No Fee agreement operates and how working with sexual assault solicitors could be financially beneficial in the claims process.
If you would like to know more about making a claim after sexual abuse you, please continue to read our guide. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you have about making a sexual abuse claim.
You can reach us by:
- Calling us on the number at the top of our page
- Completing our online form to contact us
- Using our live chat to voice your queries to one of our advisors
Choose A Section
- Can I Claim If My Stepfather Sexually Abused Me? – A Guide
- How Do I Make A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim?
- Evidence Needed To Claim If Your Stepfather Sexually Abused You
- Potential Compensation For Sexual Abuse
- Why Seek Sexual Abuse Compensation on a No Win No Fee Basis?
- Call Our Advisors To Find Out If You Can Claim If Your Stepfather Sexually Abused You
Can I Claim If My Stepfather Sexually Abused Me? – A Guide
Sections 9-13 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 state that any sexual activity involving a child under 16 and an adult over 18 is unlawful. Sexual abuse of a child can be contact or non-contact. Non-contact abuse means the abuser has subjected a child to sexual abuse but has not touched them directly.
An abuser may make physical contact with a child, which is classified as contact abuse. This can involve:
- Forcing a child to partake in sexual activities.
- Sexually touching a child.
- Making a child touch someone else or undress in front of them.
- Using an object to assault a child.
If you would like to know more about whether you’re eligible to claim, speak with a member of our team today. You could be connected with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel.
How Do I Make A Criminal Injury Compensation Claim?
If your stepfather has sexually abused you, you could claim through the CICA. To do so, you should meet the criteria below:
- You reported the incident to the police.
- Your claim is being made within the time limit.
- It happened in England, Scotland, Wales, or another relevant place as defined by the CICA.
- You were injured in a crime of violence.
Their definition of a crime of violence includes attacks, violent acts or omissions and sexual assault. It can also include threats, provided that the person being threatened is in circumstances in which it is reasonable for them to be in such fear.
You may be able claim directly against the perpetrator of a criminal injury. However, they would need to have sufficient funds so that you could be compensated. You can only claim through the CICA as a last resort where there are no other options for claiming.
If you would like to know more about claiming if your stepfather sexually abused you, speak with a member of our team.
Evidence Needed To Claim If Your Stepfather Sexually Abused You
If your stepfather sexually abused you and you make a claim throught the CICA, you may be asked for evidence. This can include:
- Your police reference number.
- Proof that you meet the residency requirements.
- Medical records
- Evidence of special expenses incurred.
The CICA can acquire further evidence about the incident by liaising with the police. This is why it’s important that you provide a crime reference number.
You should also be within the time limit to claim. This is generally two years from when you reported the incident to the police (which should be done as soon as possible). You should be able to provide evidence of any exceptional circumstances that prevented you from adhering to the time limit.
There are exceptions to this time limit, including if a person was under eighteen when the incident happened. If it was reported to the police at the time, but no claim was made, they have two years from their eighteenth birthday to start a claim.
In the event that it was not reported to the police at the time, then the claimant would have 2 years from when they reported it to the police.
If a person wants to make a CICA claim on behalf of a child whose stepfather sexually abused them, they must be their parent or legal guardian. To find out more about the process of claiming, speak with our team.
Potential Compensation For Sexual Abuse
If your stepfather sexually abused you, you could be eligible to receive compensation. This could still apply even if it was historical abuse, which is where someone who is now an adult was abused as a child. You could be compensated for the long-term effects of the abuse.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 contains a tariff which assigns compensation amounts to various injuries. This includes physical harm and psychological impacts, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from sexual abuse.
These figures can be used by the CICA when valuing the payment for your injury. You can claim for up to three injuries fom the main CICA tariff. For multiple injury claims, a formula will be applied:
- You can receive 100% of the compensation for your highest-valued injury.
- 30% for your second-highest valued injury or an injury with an equal value.
- 15% for your third-highest valued injury or an injury with an equal value.
Additional payments not subject to this formula can be made for instances in which pregnancy is involved, a foetus is lost, or a sexually transmitted infection or disease has been contracted as a result of the sexual abuse. These payments come from a separate tariff.
Examples of CICA payouts are illustrated in the table below. These figures can be used as an alternative to a CICA compensation calculator, which can provide a payout estimate that you could receive.
| Injury | Notes | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Assault | Resulting in serious internal bodily injury with permanent disabling mental illness that is moderate and confirmed by psychiatrist. | £33,000 |
| Resulting in a permanently disabling mental illness that is severe and confirmed by a psychiatrist. | £27,000 | |
| Resulting in permanently disabling mental illness that is moderate and confirmed by a psychiatrist. | £22,000 | |
| One or more physical or oral-genital acts that are not penetrative and happened in two or more isolated incidents. | £4,400 | |
| One or more physical or oral-genital acts that are not penetrative. | £3,300 | |
| Serious involving a pattern of repetitive sexual, physical acts under the clothing that do not involve penetration. | £2,000 | |
| Minor involving non-penetrative frequent sexual physical acts on top of clothing. | £1,500 | |
| Minor involving sexual, physical acts on top of clothing that are not penetrative. | £1,000 | |
| Non-consensual penetration of the vagina, anus, and/or mouth with a penis | One incident involving two or more attackers. | £13,500 |
| One incident. | £11,000 |
CICA Claims – What Other Damages Could Make Up Compensation For Historic Abuse?
You may also be eligible to receive payment for any special expenses you incurred. These cover losses such as:
- Any equipment damaged in the incident which you relied on.
- The cost of medical treatment on the NHS or another state health service that would have cost the equivalent of NHS treatment.
- Home adaptations such as a stair lift.
All of these costs need to be necessary, reasonable and resulting from the incident. You could also be entitled to claim compensation for a loss of earnings.
To find out if you’re eligible to receive these payments, speak with a member of our team. If your claim is valid, they could connect you with a lawyer.
Why Seek Sexual Abuse Compensation on a No Win No Fee Basis?
If you are seeking compensation after your stepfather sexually abused you, working with No Win No Fee sexual abuse claims solicitors could be beneficial. A common kind of No Win No Fee agreement is a Conditional Fee Agreement.
This means that generally, you will not be required to pay for your solicitor’s services if your claim is unsuccessful. In addition to this, there aren’t any upfront or ongoing fees to pay.
If your claim is successful, your solicitor will take a success fee. This is a deduction from your compensation. The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 legally caps the percentage they are allowed to take.
For more information on No Win No Fee agreements, please contact our advisors, who have access to a panel of experienced solicitors who could help you with your claim.
Contact Us For Free To See If You Can Make A CICA Claim Today
Please don’t hesitate to contact our team with any questions about claiming after your stepfather sexually abused you. We can provide you with legal advice and a free consultation. Please reach us in the following ways:
- Call us on the number at the top of our page
- Contact us by completing our online form
- Speak to us through our live advice feature
Call Our Advisors To Find Out If You Can Claim If Your Stepfather Sexually Abused You
Thank you for reading our guide on claiming if your stepfather sexually abused you. For more of our information, please visit our guides below:
For further resources, please look at the external resources linked:
- Help After Rape and Sexual Assault – NHS
- Support For Victims of Sexual Violence and Abuse – Government Guidance
- Get Help – Rape Crisis
Writer Emily Marley
Publisher Fern Scrimshaw
