Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) On Making A Sexual Abuse Claim
Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) guide on making a sexual abuse claim. On this page, you will find answers to numerous questions regarding the process of claiming compensation for the impacts of sexual assault.
We discuss what important information you need to know before making a sexual abuse claim and the eligibility criteria that need to be met. We also discuss how you could potentially claim compensation for historic sexual abuse if you suffered childhood sexual abuse.
Furthermore, we explain what time limits need to be adhered to and how compensation for successful sexual abuse claims are calculated. We also share the various services the solicitors on our panel offer when helping their clients make sexual abuse compensation claims.
Our team is on standby 24/7 to give you any type of support you need. If you feel like there have been questions not answered in this guide, hopefully, our team will be able to help you. To have a free chat with us, you can contact us by:
- Calling 020 8050 2736
- Contacting us online.
- Messaging in our live chat box.
Jump To A Section
- What Information Do I Need To Make A Sexual Abuse Claim?
- Can I Claim If The Abuser Doesn’t Live In The UK?
- Can I Claim Claim For Historic Abuse?
- Should The Crime Be Reported To The Police?
- Is There A Time Limit When Claiming Sexual Abuse Compensation?
- How Much Compensation From A Sexual Abuse Claim?
- Can I Make A Claim For Abuse With A No Win No Fee Solicitor?
- How Can We Help You With Your Criminal Injury Claim?
- Read More About How To Make A Sexual Abuse Claim
What Information Do I Need To Make A Sexual Abuse Claim?
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is a Government body that exists in Great Britain to offer a compensation route for victims of violent crime.
If you have suffered sexual abuse, you may be able to claim compensation through the CICA if the following eligibility requirements are met:
- You were harmed in a violent crime. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 helps the CICA to value claims and provides examples of types of acts that are considered a violent crime. This includes sexual abuse.
- The incident took place in Great Britain (England, Scotland, or Wales) or another relevant location. For example, on a boat that’s registered to Great Britain.
- You reported the incident to the police.
- You must begin your claim within the time limit. We discuss this in a later section.
Additionally, there are some other types of information that a criminal injury lawyer or solicitor may require from you in order to begin a claim. These details include:
- The kind of abuse you were subjected to.
- How often the abuse occurred, where it happened, and how it has impacted you.
- Whether you have sought any compensation for the abuse in the past.
A specialised solicitor from our panel can help you build a sexual abuse claim if you are eligible to claim compensation.
Can I Claim If The Abuser Doesn’t Live In The UK?
As previously aforementioned, when making a claim for sexual abuse through the CICA, the incident must have taken place in Great Britain or another relevant place, as per the eligibility criteria.
As long as the incident took place in Great Britain and you were a UK resident when the incident(s) took place (as per the nationality and residency requirements), you could still claim compensation through the CICA regardless of whether the abuser currently lives in the UK or not.
You can contact our team today to see whether you may be able to make a claim through the CICA for your criminal injuries.
Can I Claim For Historic Abuse?
Historical abuse is when an adult was sexually abused as a child (under 18 years old). You are eligible to make a claim through the CICA for any historical abuse you expereinced as long as you meet the eligibility requirements.
However, it is important to note that exceptions could be made to the time limit when claiming for historic sexual abuse through the CICA. We explain what these exceptions are in a later section within this guide.
Can I Claim Against The Abuser Directly?
You are able to make a sexual abuse claim against the abuser directly if you can identify them and if they have the funds to pay your compensation.
However, if you either do not know the abuser or know that they do not have the means to compensate you, you could make a compensation claim through the CICA.
Additionally, you can make a sexual abuse claim against an alternative third party, such as an institution, if they are vicariously liable.
For example, you could claim against a school if a school failed to perform a DBS check on a teacher who sexually abused you, and this DSB check would have highlighted previous sexual abuse convictions they had.
If you have any queries on who you can make your potential sexual abuse claim against, then please contact us.
Should The Crime Be Reported To The Police?
As per the eligibility criteria, the crime must be reported to the police in order for a sexual abuse claim to be made through the CICA.
Reporting the abuse to the police will mean they have an official record of the criminal activity. This is an important aspect when claiming sexual abuse compensation.
Once the incident has been reported, you should be provided with a police reference number. You can use this reference number to form part of your evidence.
Other pieces of evidence that you will need to have to make a sexual abuse compensation claim through the CICA are:
- Proof that you have met the residency requirements.
- Medical evidence, such as a copy of your medical reports.
Additionally, the CICA can liaise with the police to obtain extra information that they might need regarding the crime.
To discuss more about what evidence you need to support your case best, please contact us.
Is There A Time Limit When Claiming Sexual Abuse Compensation?
As we previously mentioned, there is a time limit you must adhere to when making a criminal injury claim through the CICA. This is two years from the date the incident occurred.
If exceptional circumstances prevented you from starting your claim within this period, then this 2-year time limit could possibly be extended. However, the CICA will assess these circumstances on a case-by-case basis.
For children who have been criminally injured, the time limits are as follows:
- If the incident has been reported to the police, you will have two years from your 18th birthday to begin the claiming process, provided that exceptional circumstances don’t apply.
- If the incident has not been reported to the police and you are now 18 years of age, you will have two years from the date you make this report. You will also have to demonstrate that there were delays in making this report due to exceptional circumstances, e.g. historical abuse.
If you are unsure whether you are still within the time limit to begin a sexual abuse claim through the CICA, you can contact our advisors.
How Much Compensation From A Sexual Abuse Claim?
If you make a successful sexual abuse claim through the CICA, your psychiatric and physical injuries will be valued using the fixed tariff set out in the CICA Scheme. You will be awarded the precise amount listed in the CICA Scheme that correlates with your injuries.
If you are looking to claim for multiple injuries using the main set tariffs, these injuries will be subjected to a multiple injuries formula. This formula means that you will be awarded 100% compensation for your most valued injury, 30% for the second most, and 15% for the third most.
There are exceptions if you contracted an STI, became pregnant, or lost a foetus as a result of sexual abuse. In these cases, you might be awarded compensation through a different tariff.
We have provided, in the table below, some examples of CICA payouts that could be awarded in successful sexual assault claims.
Compensation Table
| Injury | Notes | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple criminal injuries with a loss of earnings and special expenses. | An award for suffering multiple injuries, special expenses, and any potential loss of earnings. | Up to £500,000 |
| Non-consensual penile penetration (where victim is any age) | A serious internal bodily injury with a severe permanent disabling mental illness, that a psychiatric prognosis confirms. | £44,000 |
| Resulting in serious internal bodily injuries. | £22,000 | |
| Involving two or more abusers. | £13,500 | |
| Non-consensual penile penetration (where the victim is a child) | A serious internal bodily injury with a severe permanent disabling mental illness, that a psychiatric prognosis confirms. | £44,000 |
| Sexual assault (where the victim is any age) | Resulting in a severe permanent mental illness and confirmed by a psychiatrist. | £27,000 |
| A pattern of frequent abuse lasting 3+ years | £8,200 | |
| Non-penetrative acts under clothing. | £2,000 | |
| Sexual assault (where the victim is a child) | A pattern of frequent incidents that also result in serious internal bodily injuries. | £22,000 |
Special Expenses
As part of your sexual abuse compensation claim, you could also potentially receive special expenses. This means that you could be reimbursed for these expenses:
- Equipment that you depended on as physical aid that was damaged during the incident. For example, a hearing aid.
- Equipment that you require in order to cope with your injuries. For example, a mobility chair.
- Care costs relating to your food preparations or bodily functions.
- Costs to adapt your home to accommodate for your injuries. For example, needing to add a stair lift.
These expenses must be reasonable, necessary, and directly relating to your injuries. They can’t be obtained for free from anywhere else.
Additionally, loss of earnings could also be reimbursed under special expenses, but certain eligibility criteria must be met in order to do so.
To learn more about how compensation is calculated for successful sexual abuse claims, please get in touch with us.
Can I Make A Claim For Abuse With A No Win No Fee Solicitor?
The solicitors on our panel usually offer to help their clients with their claims on a No Win No Fee basis by offering a Conditional Fee Agreement. With this in place, you will not need to pay any fees for your solicitor’s work:
- Prior to the claim starting.
- While the claim is in progression.
- If it fails.
Should the claim succeed, a success fee will be taken by your solicitor. This is a percentage of your compensation that is legally limited.
Can I Change My Solicitor Or Lawyer When Claiming Compensation For Abuse?
If you are not happy with the services that your solicitor is providing, then you can change your legal representation under certain circumstances.
Factors that could lead to you changing your lawyer or solicitor include:
- Your solicitor consistently not replying to your queries or getting back to you.
- Your lawyer is not efficiently building your case.
- A lack of correspondence in terms of the solicitor working with other relevant third parties, such as the CICA. If the CICA cannot process your claim due to your solicitor not responding to them, this could delay your claim.
- Your solicitor failing to communicate with you about the progression of your case.
Will The Information I Give Be Kept Confidential?
All details of your potential claim will be kept confidential. The solicitors on our panel are legally obligated to operate in a confidential manner. Even if your case goes to court, your identity will be kept confidential.
Our panel of No Win No Fee solicitors ensure that they deliver the best service possible to their clients. Contact us today to see whether you could be eligible to work with one of them.
How Can We Help You With Your Criminal Injury Claim?
You can contact our advisors today to receive a free eligibility case check of your claim. They can also offer you free advice and potentially put you in contact with a solicitor on our panel.
Our panel of No Win No Fee solicitors have a vast amount of experience working on sexual abuse claims. Some of the services they can offer you include:
- Help gather your evidence.
- Let you know as soon as there is an update on the case.
- Explain legal terminology to you.
- Help guide you through the claiming process.
- Ensure that your compensation is fairly and accurately valued.
- Ensure that your claim is submitted within the time limit.
To find out whether you can connect with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel, please contact us:
- Call 020 8050 2736
- Contact us online.
- Message in our live chat box.
Read More About How To Make A Sexual Abuse Claim
Additional guides by us:
- How to make a sexual abuse compensation claim if you were sexually assaulted at work.
- How to make a sexual abuse compensation claim if you were sexually assaulted by your father.
- Find out how to claim for domestic abuse.
External pages:
- The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) – a charity dedicated to helping child sexual abuse victims.
- Rape Crisis – a charity that has a 24/7 rape support line.
- Get help after rape and sexual assault from the NHS.
We hope that this FAQ guide has answered all your questions. If you have any additional questions about making a sexual abuse claim that this guide has not covered, you can contact our advisors.
