By Danielle Jones. Last Updated 5th June 2024. This guide explains how to claim compensation for sexual abuse by a therapist. It’s important to note that there are different avenues you can take to seek compensation, including directly against the perpetrator if they are able to pay compensation and have been identified, or against a vicariously liable party who breached the duty of care they owed you. However, if you are unable to claim compensation through any other route, you could make your claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
The CICA are an executive agency set up to provide those injured in a violent crime in Great Britain with a way to pursue compensation where no other route exists. For the purpose of this article, we will discuss the steps involved with claiming sexual abuse compensation through the CICA, including the eligibility requirements that need to be met.
You can also find out how long you generally have to start a criminal injury compensation claim through the CICA and learn what evidence you will need to provide. As the guide continues, we cover how the CICA calculates payouts and discuss why you may wish to consider working alongside a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel.
For more information, you can get in touch with our advisors. They are available around the clock and can answer your questions. To get in touch, you can:
- Start a live chat conversation with an advisor.
- Contact us through our website.
- Call the number at the top of the page.
Browse Our Guide
- Can You Claim For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist?
- Is There A Time Limit When Claiming For Therapist Sexual Abuse Through The CICA?
- How To Claim For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist
- How Much Compensation Could I Receive For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist?
- Why Claim For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist With A No Win No Fee Solicitor?
- More Resources About Sexual Abuse Claims
Can You Claim For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist?
The CICA exists to provide the victims of violent crime that occurred in Great Britain with an opportunity to seek compensation if no other way is available to them. Their definition of a crime of violence includes sexual assault or abuse.
In order to begin a claim through the CICA, there are several requirements that need to be fulfilled. For example:
- You need to show you were injured, psychologically, physically or both in a crime of violence.
- The incident needs to have been reported to the police.
- The sexual abuse occurred in England, Scotland, or Wales, or another relevant place, such as a ship registered to one of the countries previously mentioned.
- You need to put forward your claim within the relevant time limits. We provide more information on these in the section below.
If you want to discuss whether you’re eligible to begin a claim through the CICA for the effects of sexual abuse, please reach out to us through live chat or the phone number stated above so an advisor can help.
Is There A Time Limit When Claiming For Therapist Sexual Abuse Through The CICA?
Generally, the CICA expects those who were adults at the time of the incident to submit their claim two years from when it occurred. However, exceptional circumstances that mean you couldn’t make your claim within this time frame can result in an extension.
There are different time limits for those who were under 18 at the time of incident. In these instances, the CICA expects the claim to be submitted either:
- By their 20th birthday, if they reported the incident to the police prior to turning 18.
- From the date the incident was reported to the police if this was done on or after they turned 18, such as in cases of historical sexual abuse.
While the CICA requires you to have reported the crime as soon as you were reasonably able to, exceptions can be made in some cases. As a result, you may be able to claim for therapist sexual abuse after reporting it years later.
Our advisors can help you identify how long you have to start a criminal injury claim, so please do not hesitate to reach out.
How To Claim For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist
When making a claim for sexual abuse by a therapist through the CICA, you will be expected to provide evidence, including:
- Evidence that you meet the residency requirements for claiming.
- Your crime reference number to show you reported the incident to the police.
- Medical evidence showing that you suffered an injury the CICA can award compensation for.
- Proof of any financial loss arising from the crime of violence.
Please note, you won’t need to provide evidence of the incident happening. The CICA will liaise with the police to obtain evidence of the crime. Furthermore, the perpetrator does not have to have been convicted for you to start a claim.
If you have any further questions about collecting evidence for CICA claims, call the number above and ask an advisor.
How Much Compensation Could I Receive For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist?
If you make a successful claim through the CICA for compensation due to sexual abuse by a therapist, it will be calculated using the tariff of injuries. These are found in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. They are fixed amounts.
Your claim for compensation for therapist sexual abuse can include up to three injuries from this main tariff. This is to compensate for the physical and psychological injuries caused by the incident(s). However, these injuries will be subject to the multiple injuries formula. This is as follows:
- For the first injury (the one with the highest value), you will be awarded 100% of the tariff.
- The next injury, with an equal value to the first or second highest, will be awarded at 30% of the tariff.
- The third injury (either equal or third highest in value) will be awarded at 15% of the tariff amount.
There are other payments, not from this main tariff, that are not subject to this formula. This means that you could qualify for an additional payment if you:
- Lost a foetus.
- Became pregnant.
- Contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
CICA Payout Table
The figures in this table are collected from the tariff in the 2012 Scheme. They are fixed amounts. Please note that the top entry is not from the tariff. Additionally, as all claims for therapist sexual abuse are different, the table is only provided for guidance.
| INJURY | TARIFF AMOUNT | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Abuse and Financial Losses | Up to £500,000 | Compensation covering special expenses, a loss of earnings, and other harm. |
| Non-Consensual Penile Penetration Of The Mouth, Anus and/or Vagina (Victim Is Any Age) | £44,000 | Resulting in a serious internal bodily injury with a permanently disabling mental illness of a severe nature. |
| £33,000 | Resulting in a serious internal bodily injury with a moderate and permanently disabling mental illness. | |
| £22,000 | A pattern of repetitive incidents for three or more years. Incidents involve one or multiple attackers. | |
| £16,500 | Repetitive incidents lasting up to three years. | |
| Sexual Assault (Victim Is Any Age) | £27,000 | Resulting in a permanently disabling and severe mental illness, as confirmed by a psychiatric prognosis. |
| £22,000 | A moderate and permanently disabling mental illness. | |
| £22,000 | Serious internal bodily injuries from a pattern of frequent and repetitive severe abuse by one or multiple attackers. | |
| Other Payments | £22,000 | Infection with HIV, Hepatitis B and/or Hepatitis C. |
| £11,000 | A permanent disability caused by an STI, not including HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C. |
Financial Losses In Sexual Abuse Claims
You may also be able to seek compensation for financial losses in a sexual abuse claim. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you could qualify to receive a payment for:
- Special Expenses: These refer to certain costs incurred due to your injury. For example, you may have had personal aid equipment damaged in an attack. Otherwise, you might have had to pay for domestic care or administrative support because you were unable to handle your affairs. The costs must be reasonable, necessary, and unavailable for free elsewhere.
- Loss of Earnings: A payment can be made to cover lost earnings if you were unable to work due to your injury. The injury must have been serious enough to have prevented you from being able to undertake any paid work, or meant you had a very limited capacity to do so.
Please note, there are other requirements that need to be fulfilled to qualify for a loss of earnings or special expenses payment. To find out more about these, please get in touch using the number above.
Why Claim For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist With A No Win No Fee Solicitor?
If you have experienced sexual abuse by a therapist, call our team as they can assess whether you’re eligible to pursue criminal injury compensation.
If they find you have valid grounds to proceed, you could be connected to one of the expert sexual abuse claims solicitors from our panel and guided through the CICA claim process. The solicitor’s services would be provided under a Conditional Fee Agreement, which is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement.
It ensures that you do not pay for the solicitor’s work in advance, as the case progresses, or at the end of an unsuccessful claim.
Following a successful claim, your solicitor would deduct a success fee from your compensation. They take this as a percentage which is capped as per The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 ensuring you keep the majority of your settlement.
If you want to learn more about claiming for sexual abuse, please get in touch today by either:
- Opening the live chat tab on this page.
- Using our web form to contact us and arrange a call.
- Phone the number above.
More Resources About Sexual Abuse Claims
Please find some more of our guides discussing claiming for sexual abuse:
- Learn how to claim for sexual abuse by a doctor with the CICA.
- A guide to teacher sexual abuse compensation claims.
- This article discusses using a CICA claim calculator to work out the sexual abuse compensation you could be entitled to.
These resources may also be of help:
- The charity Victim Support offers guidance on dealing with a violent crime.
- Government information on seeking Statutory Sick Pay if you cannot work while ill or injured.
- Information on Rape Crisis, a charity providing specialist support to those who have experienced sexual abuse.
Thank you for reading our guide to claiming CICA compensation for sexual abuse by a therapist. If there is anything you would like to ask us, please call any time.
