This guide seeks to help those asking, ‘Can sexual abuse cause depression, and can I claim compensation for it?’. We focus on proceeding with a criminal injury claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), a government agency designed to compensate victims of violent crime in Great Britain. However, the CICA is intended as a last resort, and if you have another avenue you could take to pursue compensation you should, such as against the perpetrator directly, or a vicariously liable third party who breached the duty of care they owed you.
We explain the eligibility criteria for CICA claims as well as the fixed tariff that determines how much compensation the CICA can award for the effects of sexual abuse. As you continue through the guide, you will learn how long you have to submit a claim to the CICA and get information about what proof you should provide.
We are here to help, and you can talk to an advisor today about the benefits of getting support from a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel. For any questions or to learn if you have a valid claim, speak to us for free through one of these channels:
- Through the ‘contact us’ page of our website.
- Over a live chat conversation in the pop-up tab below.
- By calling the number at the head of this page.
Select A Section
- Can Sexual Abuse Cause Depression And Are You Able To Claim For It?
- How Much Sexual Abuse Compensation Could You Receive?
- Is There A Time Limit When Claiming If Sexual Abuse Caused Depression?
- What Do You Need To Claim If Sexual Abuse Caused Depression Through The CICA?
- Claim For The Effects Of Sexual Abuse Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor
- Read More About Sexual Abuse Claims
Can Sexual Abuse Cause Depression And Are You Able To Claim For It?
You may be wondering, ‘Can sexual abuse cause depression?’. Depression and other forms of psychological injury could stem from sexual abuse. Mental injury is also one of the potential long-term effects of sexual abuse that you could seek compensation for.
Such a claim could be made, if there is no possible alternative, through the CICA if you meet the eligibility criteria. This means showing:
- You were the victim of a crime of violence. The CICA’s definition of this includes sexual abuse.
- The incident occurred in England, Scotland, Wales or another relevant place.
- You reported the crime to the police.
- You are able to start your claim within the relevant time limits.
Call us to find out whether you’re eligible to claim for the psychological effects of sexual abuse through the CICA.
How Much Sexual Abuse Compensation Could You Receive?
You may also wonder, ‘Can sexual abuse cause depression and how much compensation could be awarded?’. When claiming through the CICA, they administer the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 which has a tariff of injuries. The amounts included in this tariff are fixed.
The Scheme states that where a person has sustained a mental injury because of sexual assault, they can receive an injury payment for the sexual assault or mental injury, whichever gives rise to the highest payment under the tariff.
Also, the Scheme allows you to claim for up to three injuries. When claiming for multiple injuries, they will be subject to the following formula:
- You receive 100% of the tariff amount for the highest-valued injury.
- 30% of the tariff amount is awarded for the second-highest valued injury or injury with the equally highest value goes to you.
- You get 15% of the tariff amount for the equally or third-highest value injury.
Additionally, a payment for becoming pregnant, contracting an STI or losing a foetus because of the violent crime could also be awarded. This payment is not affected by the above formula.
CICA Compensation Table
The table below features compensation figures from the 2012 Scheme’s tariff. These amounts are fixed. Please note that the top entry does not feature in the tariff.
| INJURY | TARIFF AMOUNT | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Abuse with Financial Losses | Up to £500,000 | Compensation accounting for multiple physical and/or mental injuries, plus special expenses and lost earnings. |
| Non-Consensual Penile Penetration Of The Mouth, Anus and/or Vagina (Victim Is Any Age) | £44,000 | Results in serious internal bodily injury and mental illness that is severe, permanent and disabling. |
| £33,000 | Moderate, permanently disabling mental illness accompanying serious internal bodily injury. | |
| £27,000 | Severe mental illness that is permanently disabling and is confirmed by psychiatric prognosis confirms. | |
| £22,000 | A moderate mental illness that causes a permanent disability. | |
| Sexual Assault (Victim Is Any Age) | £27,000 | Severe, permanent and disabling mental illness. |
| £22,000 | Permanently disabling mental illness that is moderate. |
Can Financial Losses Make Up Part Of A Sexual Abuse Compensation Payout?
You could also receive a payment for special expenses which refers to costs incurred due to your criminal injury. A payment for special expenses could be made with respect to, for example, lost or damaged property or equipment that you relied on as a physical aid and the cost of care in connection with your bodily functions or meal preparation. To qualify for this payment, the costs need to be reasonable, necessary, and available for free elsewhere.
You could also receive a loss of earnings payment if you were unable to work as a result of your criminal injury. However, your injury must have been serious enough to have resulted in you being completely unable to undertake any form of paid work or had a very limited capacity to do so.
Other eligibility criteria apply when considering whether you’re eligible for a special expenses or loss of earnings payment. Call our team for more information.
Is There A Time Limit When Claiming If Sexual Abuse Caused Depression?
In most cases, sexual abuse claims through the CICA must begin within two years of the incident occurring if you were an adult at the time. The incident will also be expected to have been reported to the police as soon as possible. Extensions may be granted to the two year time limit in which you have to start your claim, and the time limit for reporting the incident to the police, if exceptional circumstances prevented you from doing so.
If the person was under the age of 18 at the time of the incident, they will have:
- Until their 20th birthday, if the incident was reported to the police before they turned 18.
- Within two years of the incident first being reported to the police, if this happened on or after they turned 18, such as in cases of historical sexual abuse.
If you have any questions about time limits and check whether you can claim if sexual abuse caused depression, even after reporting it years later, please get in touch.
What Do You Need To Claim If Sexual Abuse Caused Depression Through The CICA?
Evidence you may need to provide to the CICA includes:
- Confirmation that you meet the residency requirements for a claim.
- Your crime reference number, as proof that you reported the incident to the police.
- Medical evidence. Those asking, ‘Can sexual abuse cause depression?’ may also ask how to prove it. One way is by requesting medical records such as a psychiatrist’s report.
- Proof of financial loss or expenses that happened because of the crime.
You do not need to prove that your assailant was convicted or give evidence of the crime. The CICA can get this information by speaking to the police.
Our advisors can answer your questions about proving the effects of sexual abuse and how a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel could help present evidence in a CICA claim. Call the number above to find out more.
Claim For The Effects Of Sexual Abuse Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor
If you wish to instruct a solicitor to help you claim after sexual abuse caused depression, you could benefit from being represented by a sexual abuse claim solicitor from our panel.
Our panel of solicitors offer their services under a Conditional Fee Agreement. This is a type of No Win No Fee deal that means you do not pay upfront for their work. You also do not pay running costs for that work as your claim proceeds and no fee for the work they complete on your case if it fails.
If you succeed and receive compensation, your solicitor would take a small percentage of this as their success fee. However, there is a limit to what a solicitor can collect because The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 sets a legal cap.
For further information on sexual abuse claims, please contact us. To do so, you can:
- Use the ‘contact us’ page of our website.
- Speak with us via the live chat pop-up below.
- Call the number at the head of this page.
Read More About Sexual Abuse Claims
Here are some more guides to claiming compensation for sexual abuse:
- A review of statistics on sexual assault and how to claim.
- Explaining how a solicitor can help with a child sexual abuse claim.
- A guide to claiming for PTSD following sexual abuse and what you could claim for.
- If you’ve suffered harm because of sexual abuse by the Catholic Church, you may be able to claim compensation. This guide offers lots of helpful advice.
Some further resources you may find useful:
- The Crown Prosecution Service explains its sexual offences prosecution approach.
- Government guidance on seeking Statutory Sick Pay if you miss work.
- Help coping with crime from Victim Support.
Thank you for reading this guide answering the question, ‘Can sexual abuse cause depression and can I make a criminal injury claim?’. If you need any other information, please get in touch using the number above.
