In this article, we look at whether you could be eligible to make a compensation claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) for sexual abuse by your father. The CICA handles compensation claims for those who suffered a physical or mental injury due to being a victim of a violent crime in Great Britain. 

This article will provide information on the eligibility criteria you must satisfy in order to make a claim through the CICA for sexual abuse compensation, including for historical abuse claims. Additionally, we also look at how the CICA awards compensation for successful claims. 

If you meet the eligibility requirements, you may like to have legal representation through the claims process. This article concludes with a look at the benefits of having the support of a No Win No Fee solicitor specialising in claims for criminal injuries compensation. 

Our team of advisors are here to help. Direct any questions you have about making a criminal injuries compensation claim to one of our team members using the contact details listed below. Any advice they give is free. 

• Fill in our ‘claim online’ form and a team member will call you back. 
• Call 020 8050 2736
• Connect via our live chat. 

Browse Our Guide

1. When Are You Eligible To Claim For Sexual Abuse By Your Father?
2. Is There A Time Limit For Claiming For Sexual Abuse By Your Father Through The CICA?
3. What Do You Need To Seek Sexual Abuse Compensation Through The CICA?
4. What Amount Of Criminal Injuries Compensation Could You Receive From A Successful Claim?
5. Why Make A Claim Through The CICA On A No Win No Fee Basis?
6. Learn More About Claiming Compensation For Abuse

When Are You Eligible To Claim For Sexual Abuse By Your Father?

There is specific criminal injuries compensation eligibility requirements that you must meet in order to make a claim for sexual abuse by your father through the CICA. You must prove that:

• The incident occurred in England, Wales, Scotland or another relevant place.
• You are within the time limits, which we look at shortly.
• The incident was reported to the police. Although you require your police reference number to claim through the CICA, you do not need to wait for conviction.
• You were injured either mentally or physically in a crime of violence. The CICA’s definition of this includes an attack, an act that is violent in nature and results in harm, the threat of an attack where the person had reasonable firmness to be in fear of harm, sexual assault and arson. 

Direct any questions you have about the eligibility for sexual abuse claims and claims for non-recent abuse to one of the advisors from our team. 

Is There A Time Limit For Claiming For Sexual Abuse By Your Father Through The CICA?

You may have further questions, such as ‘how long do I have to claim criminal injury compensation?’. 

The general time limit to start a claim for sexual abuse by your father through the CICA is two years from the date of reporting the incident to the police. This should typically happen as soon as possible following the incident. 

However, there are cases where exceptional circumstances could apply. You will need to prove that your circumstances prevented you from reporting the incident to the police or that you were unable to start your CICA claim during this window. 

Additionally, if a person was under the age of 18 when the incident happened and it was reported to the police at the time, but no claim was made, they will have two years from the date of their 18th birthday to start their CICA claim. If the incident was not reported at the time but was reported on or after their 18th birthday, they will have two years from the date of reporting it to make a claim. 

For more information on the criminal injury claim time limits, please contact an advisor on the number above.

What Do You Need To Seek Sexual Abuse Compensation Through The CICA?

If you are claiming compensation through the CICA for sexual abuse by your father, the CICA will ask you for:

• Proof that you meet the residency requirements. 
• Your police reference number. The CICA will use this to liaise with the police and obtain any other evidence they need of the crime occurring. 
• Medical evidence to show you suffered an injury that can be compensated for by the CICA.
• Proof of special expenses or loss of earnings (if you are claiming these).

If you are seeking compensation for suffering sexual abuse as a child, why not get in touch using the contact details at the top of the page. Our advisors can also provide guidance on how to make a claim on behalf of a child.

What Amount Of Criminal Injuries Compensation Could You Receive From A Successful Claim?

Compensation for sexual abuse by your father will be calculated using the fixed amounts in the tariff of injuries found in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. You can claim for up to three injuries from this main tariff. However, your claim will be subject to the multiple injuries formula. This is:

• 100% of the tariff for the injury with the highest value.
• 30% of the tariff for the injury with the second or equally highest value.
• 15% of the tariff for the third or equally highest value.  

Additionally, there are other payments that are not subject to this formula that you might qualify for. For example, if you lost a foetus, became pregnant, or contracted an STI, an additional payment could be made to address this.

In our table below, we look at a few tariffs that could be relevant to sexual and historical abuse claims. However, the overall payout you receive could differ as each sexual abuse claim is unique and other factors, such as financial losses, can also be considered.

Harm	Amount	Notes
Sexual abuse plus additional damages	Up to £500,000	This can include compensation for special expenses, loss of earnings and additional injuries.
Penile penetration of one or more of the vagina, anus or mouth (non-consensual)	£44,000	This tariff applies if the injured party suffered serious internal bodily injuries along with a permanent and severely disabling mental illness.
	£33,000	The claimant suffered serious internal bodily injuries and also has a moderate mental illness that is permanent.
	£27,000	For this tariff, the injured party must have a permanent, severe and disabling mental illness confirmed by psychiatric prognosis.
	£22,000	The incident resulted in serious internal bodily injuries.
	£13,500	Two or more attackers were involved in the incident.
	£11,000	One attacker was involved in the incident.
Sexual assault	£27,000	The claimant suffers a permanent severe mental illness due to the incident. This is confirmed by a psychiatric prognosis.
	£22,000	This tariff applies if the claimant suffered serious internal bodily injuries.

Financial Losses In Historic Abuse Claims

You may also be awarded a special expenses payment, which cover necessary costs that are reasonable and a direct result of sexual abuse by your father. For example, you can claim for: 

• Care costs related to food preparation or your bodily functions. 
• Supervision costs to avoid substantial danger to you or others. 
• Replacement of property or equipment that was relied upon as a physical aid that was damaged in the incident, such as eye glasses.

Additionally, you could receive a loss of earnings payment if you were unable to work because of the criminal injury.

There are other criteria that must be met in order to qualify for a loss of earnings and special expenses payment.

If you would like to discuss how the criminal injuries compensation authority tariff works, or payments for financial losses, please speak to a team member. 

Why Make A Claim Through The CICA On A No Win No Fee Basis?

If you are eligible to claim compensation for sexual abuse by your father, you may like to have legal representation to help you. If so, one of the criminal injury solicitors from our panel could support your claim. Our panel generally provides their services under the terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement. 

When your solicitor works under a CFA, they typically won’t require you to pay upfront for their services or take fees as your claim is ongoing. Furthermore, you won’t be asked to pay for their work on your case following an unsuccessful claim. 

However, if you are awarded compensation for a successful claim, your solicitor will take a success fee out of this. The amount taken is a small percentage that is limited by the law. 

You can direct any questions you have about claiming historical sexual abuse compensation to an advisor from our team. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you could be connected to one of the solicitors from our panel. 

To speak with a team member:

• Fill in our ‘claim online’ form and a team member will call you back. 
• Call 020 8050 2736
• Connect via our live chat. 

Learn More About Claiming Compensation For Abuse

Here are a few extra guides you might find helpful:

• Information about sexual abuse compensation and how to claim. 
• Guidance about payouts for rape victims and how compensation could be calculated. 
• An article about sexual assault claims and how to get compensation. 

A few external websites that could be useful:

• The NHS provides guidance about sexual assault and rape and what you can do afterwards. 
• Guidance about reporting rape or sexual assault from the government. 
• Information about reporting abuse from the NSPCC. 

Our advisors are here to help if you have any further queries about how to claim for sexual abuse by your father.