‘Can sexual abuse cause depression?’ You may be asking this question after feeling the serious psychological impacts of abuse. Whether it was recent or historic abuse, the trauma of being sexually assaulted can be a life-altering experience for some victims. You deserve to be supported through your recovery as much as possible, and sexual abuse compensation could be a part of that.
Important Points
- Sexual abuse might cause a wide range of psychological harm, including clinically diagnosed short or long-term depression.
- You could be compensated for this without a suspect or a criminal conviction through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). Or in a civil case if there is an identified suspect with the means to make meaningful compensation to you.
- Compensation can cover the associated losses and expenses caused by abuse, for example, the missed wages from time off work after the assault.
- In most cases, you have 2 years from the date the crime occurred to start your claim.
- The solicitors on our panel have the expertise to help people start a claim by using a type of No Win No Fee agreement.
Allow our advisory team to help you answer the question, ‘Can sexual abuse cause depression?’ and move ahead with your compensation claim. To find out more, you can:
- Call our advisors on 0333 091 8597
- Contact us to get help.
- Ask the discussion window below, ‘Can sexual abuse cause depression?’
Jump To A Section
- Can Sexual Abuse Cause Depression?
- Can I Claim For The Psychological Damage Caused By Sexual Abuse?
- How Do Criminal Injury Compensation Authority (CICA) Depression Claims Work?
- How Much Depression Caused By Sexual Abuse Compensation Could I Get?
- What If I Have Been Left Unable To Work As A Result Of My Depression?
- Do I Need A Solicitor To Make A Sexual Abuse Depression Claim?
- How Can SACA Help Me?
- How Else Can I Get Help With My Depression After Sexual Abuse?
- More Information
Can Sexual Abuse Cause Depression?
Sexual abuse can create a wide range of additional physical and mental health problems, including depressive symptoms. Adverse impacts from sexual abuse in both childhood and adulthood have been widely reported to give rise to mental disorders.
Victim-survivors might display a range of issues when trying to deal with their feelings after sexual abuse. Alongside depression, anxiety, eating disorders, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and self-harm are other frequently encountered symptoms or coping mechanisms after the trauma.
Whether the depression you are suffering stemmed from a historical abuse incident or a recent one, you could qualify for compensation. Speak to our sympathetic advisors for free information and guidance.
Can I Claim For The Psychological Damage Caused By Sexual Abuse?
Claims for psychological damage after a sexual assault can be made through the CICA. This is a governmental agency inside the Ministry of Justice that compensates the victims of violent crime in England, Scotland and Wales. It can also compensate victims involved in incidents on registered vessels and aircraft here. The CICA uses the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 to evaluate claims and determine compensation.
The CICA aims to compensate victims when they have no other recourse through which to seek damages. For example, in a civil claim against a known assailant or a third party who is vicariously liable. To claim compensation via the CICA, you have to show these eligibility criteria:
- You were injured in a violent crime as defined by Annexe B of the CICA scheme (which includes sexual abuse).
- The incident must have occurred in Great Britain or another relevant place.
- The incident must have been reported to the police.
- Your claim needs to start within the appropriate time limit (which we explain in the next section).
The following sections will explain the CICA claims process for depression after sexual abuse or assault in more detail. If you would like an answer to the question ‘Can sexual abuse cause depression and what could I be owed?’, call our advisors now for a free assessment.
How Do Criminal Injury Compensation Authority (CICA) Depression Claims Work?
After satisfying the criteria we looked at above, CICA claims for depression start by gathering evidence. The CICA will ask you to put forward the following:
- A crime number or other proof that the incident was reported to the police.
- Proof of residency.
- Medical evidence.
Time Limits
Typically, a 2-year time limit applies in which to claim through the CICA for a psychiatric disorder like depression. This runs from the date of the incident. If there were exceptional circumstances that prevented you from claiming within this time limit, the CICA can grant exceptions. For cases involving those injured as minors, time limits are as follows:
- If the incident was reported to the police prior to the person’s 18th birthday, the time limit runs from the date of their 18th birthday.
- If the incident was not reported prior to the 18th birthday, the time limit instead starts from the date the report is made. It will be necessary to show that exceptional circumstances prevented the report from being made sooner, such as in cases of historical abuse.
You can speak to our advisors now for personalised guidance. Understanding CICA criteria and how to claim correctly are areas of expertise for our panel, so ask us first.
How Much Depression Caused By Sexual Abuse Compensation Could I Get?
If you’re wondering how much CICA compensation can apply for depression after sexual abuse, the table below illustrates. These are excerpts from the CICA fixed tariff relating to psychological harm (except the first line). Under the formula for multiple injuries, it is possible to claim for up to 3 injuries from the main tariff, with compensation amounts decided in the following way:
- 100% of the compensation for the injury that is the most serious (like a major depressive disorder).
- 30% for the second.
- 15% for the third most serious injury.
In addition to these examples of CICA payouts, compensation can apply if the criminal incident led to losing a foetus, caused a pregnancy or led to a sexually transmitted disease (STD).
CICA Tariff Amounts
| SEXUAL ABUSE INCIDENT | SEVERITY | CICA TARIFF AMOUNT |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual abuse and extra damages | Compensation for lost earnings, special expenses and multiple injuries. | Up to £500,000 |
| Non-consensual penile penetration of vagina, anus or mouth resulting in serious internal injuries and moderate, permanently disabling mental illness. | (B15) Internal bodily injury with a severe level of mental illness (confirmed). | £44,000 |
| (B14) Internal bodily injury with moderate, permanently disabling mental illness. | £33,000 | |
| (B13) A permanently disabling severe mental illness. | £27,000 | |
| (B11) Pattern of repeated incidents involving one or more attacker over a period of up to 3 years. | £16,500 | |
| Sexual Assault | (B13) With severe mental illness. | £27,000 |
| (B12) Moderate - Resulting in a permanently disabling mental illness (confirmed by a psychiatrist). | £22,000 | |
| Non-consensual penile penetration of vagina, anus or mouth resulting in permanently disabling mental illness. | (B13) Severely disabling mental illness. | £27,000 |
| (B12) Permanently disabling moderate mental illness. | £22,000 | |
| Sexual Assault of a Child | (B13) Resulting in severe mental illness. | £27,000 |
If you’d like help with your CICA claim, speak to us. The solicitors on our panel are experts at helping people put forward their strongest claim.
What If I Have Been Left Unable To Work As A Result Of My Depression?
If you have been left unable to work after the sexual abuse, there are other special expenses that can form part of your claim. For example:
- The cost of any physical aids that were damaged in the incident, such as eyewear or hearing aids.
- The cost of any equipment needed after the attack to help you cope, such as a wheelchair.
- Home adaptation costs to deal with injuries, such as installing a stairlift.
These costs need to be necessary, reasonable and directly resulting from the injury you experienced. Also, they cannot be available elsewhere for free. You might also qualify to claim for a loss of earnings if you meet the criteria. Please connect with our advisory team for any help with this.
Do I Need A Solicitor To Make A Sexual Abuse Depression Claim?
If you decide to appoint a solicitor, the ones on our panel offer claimants the following excellent services:
- Advice on how to claim through the CICA.
- They’ll ensure your claim is submitted within the time limit.
- Help navigating the CICA claims process and ensuring that you have everything the CICA ask for.
- Help to understand any complicated legal jargon or appeal any decision made by the CICA.
- They will make sure your compensation reflects both your injuries and any special expenses.
You can start a claim through the CICA yourself. However, the support offered by a solicitor on our panel can make the process much less stressful. Rather than try to answer the question, ‘Can sexual abuse cause depression and can I claim compensation for it?’ alone, see if our panel can help first.
How Can SACA Help Me?
At Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice, we can help eligible claimants connect with expert legal representation to start their claim. The solicitors on our panel provide expert services via a version of the No Win No Fee contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This means that you will not be expected to pay any solicitor’s fees upfront. Nor will you be expected to pay any solicitor’s fees for the work they conduct going forward with the claim.
If the claim succeeds and you receive compensation, the solicitor needs to be paid a success fee. This is a small percentage of the compensation. Importantly, there is a legal limit on this amount as per the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013. This means you can expect to receive almost all the compensation. If the claim fails, no solicitor’s costs are owed for finished work at all.
If this sounds helpful, start by speaking to our advisors. They can assess the merit of the claim and direct you to a solicitor from our panel if you want to go ahead.
Contact Our Advisors To Begin Your Claim
- Call our advisors on 0333 091 8597 to discuss claims for depression and anxiety disorders after being sexually abused.
- Contact us online about your adult depression claim after childhood trauma.
- Ask the live chat below, ‘Can sexual abuse cause depression?’
How Else Can I Get Help With My Depression After Sexual Abuse?
Alongside the question ‘Can sexual abuse cause depression and can I claim?’, you might have other concerns. The following resources are links to various charities and support organisations that help the victims of sexual crime:
- The Survivor’s Trust is a membership organisation that offers rape and sexual abuse support throughout the UK.
- SARSAS provide help to the victim-survivors of sexual abuse at any age and point in their lives.
- Safeline provides guidance and support to men and boys who have been impacted by child sexual abuse or sexual and physical abuse as adults.
- The mental health charity Mind provides advice and information for people living with mental health challenges like depression and anxiety.
- Here are details from the Mental Health Foundation about services and organisations supporting people with mental health problems.
- The NSPCC works tirelessly to protect and support those experiencing childhood sexual abuse.
More Information
As well as answering the question ‘Can sexual abuse cause depression and can I claim compensation?’, these other links feature articles from our website on related topics:
- Read about the long-term effects of sexual abuse in this guide.
- Here is guidance on compensation for rape and other sexual assault.
- Also, read more about the average payouts for historical sexual abuse compensation.
External resources
- This resource looks at depression in adults from the NHS.
- Here you can read information on other mental health services.
- Lastly, some information on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) that you could claim if you cannot work.
We hope this guide has helped answer ‘Can sexual abuse cause depression and can I claim compensation for it?’ for you, and if you need any further help understanding your claim options, please reach out to our advisors.
