Rape or Sexual Assault Compensation Award Claims
If you have been the victim of rape or sexual assault you may be eligible to make a claim for compensation.
Rape is defined as an unwanted and unlawful sexual assault. Compensation following a rape attack can be awarded for personal injury, trauma and psychological injuries under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) scheme.
Our team of compassionate experts can guide you through the process and speak to you in complete confidence.
Making a compensation claim following a Rape or Sexual Assault
If you have reached this section of my blog, you have made the very brave decision to explore your legal rights following your assault. I can direct you to make a claim for compensation and find specialist team of advisor who could speak to you in complete confidence.
If you are a parent / guardian and have a child under the age of 18 who has been the victim of rape, we can help you make an application on their behalf.
When should you make a claim?
Compensation claims for rape victims should ideally be made as soon as possible, however we understand it can be traumatic and difficult to come forward. Many victims are reluctant to proceed with either a police report or a compensation claim as they feel they that no one will believe them. Making this difficult decision is a matter for the victim but they are teams who would support you and could provide you with guidance on what options are open to you given your particular circumstances.
Time limits for making a claim
The CICA have in place to make a claim (normally within 2 years from the date of an incident or the police notification date) however due to the sensitive nature of sexual assault and abuse there are some exceptions to this rule.
Is your CICA claim too late – missed the 2 year deadline?
What are your rights to compensation when you have missed the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) 2 year deadline? This regrettably is an all too common problem.
If your claim is late – you could still receive help to you win your compensation
OUT OF TIME FOR CLAIMING? – Get in touch – Many cases can be successfully appealed.
Important: Please be aware that you do not need to wait for the outcome of a court case to make an application for a claim.
Recent statistics released by the government in January 2013 have shown that between 60,000 – 90,000 people suffer a rape related assault (the vast majority women) in England and Wales each year.
The true figure could be much higher as many assaults go unreported, particularly those involving domestic violence.
It is thought that over 400,000 women are sexually assaulted each year and 1 in 5 women between the ages of 16-59 have experienced some type of sexual violence since the age of 16.
Rape not only affects many women, but also men and children occurring either as an isolated incident or as part of a period of abuse.
This is understanding that this type of assault can be hugely traumatic for victims and can cause long lasting psychological/emptional/mental problems.
Abuse cases
If you were the victim of historical sexual assault before 1st October 1979 and were living with your attacker as members of the same family at the time, unfortunately the CICA scheme does not cover claims for periods of abuse up to this date.
Helpful Contacts
There are many groups which can offer further help and support for victims of rape.
Please see the following links for more information:
- Rape Crisis Freephone 0808 802 9999
- SOS Rape Crisis info@sosrc.org.uk or call 01702 667590
- Victim Support Call free Supportline 08 08 16 89 111
- SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centres)
- Sexually abused as a child – can I claim compensation?
- Emotional/Psychological/Mental Abuse
- Family Law Act 1996
- Serious Crime Act 2015
Please let me know if I can be of further assistance and Should You Have Any Question Relating to this Please Do Not Hesitate to Get in Touch. Either Private message me on Facebook Page or through here by commenting or E-Mail me at gemmadupont@mail.com. Hope you have enjoyed this topic and hope it helps.
Gemma Dupont 