Criminal Injuries Compensation
Limitation with criminal Injuries claims
Bringing a criminal injuries compensation claim for sex abuse is different from bringing a civil claim (through the courts). To obtain compensation the claim would need to be brought against the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). This is a scheme that is run by the government and permits compensation payments to be made to victims of abuse, however, there are particular circumstances where this can be done, these are:
- Reporting the matter to the police
- Making the application to the CICA within 2 years of the crime, OR
- Within 2 years of first reporting the matter to the police, OR
- By your 20th birthday
Nevertheless, applications to the CICA that are made outside of the 2 year limit are still considered and they will decide whether it is reasonable to ignore the time limit in the circumstances of the case.
Football child abuse- claims against an organisation
The route of starting a claim against an organisation and going to court is called ‘litigation’. You would consider doing this if you were owed a duty of care by an organisation, business or other public body and it has to be established that the organisation, business or public body failed in its duty of care to protect you. An example of this type of litigation is the group action that the victims of Jimmy Savile took against the BBC.
Here are some examples of child abuse claims which have gone to court and the offender has been imprisoned:
- R v K (2016)- the offender was convicted under Sexual Offences Act 1956 & Sexual Offences Act 2003 and received 7 years imprisonment.
- R v Bradbury (2015)- the offender was convicted under Criminal Justice Act 2003 & Sexual Offences Act 2003 and received 22 years imprisonment.
Who would you sue if you brought a football child abuse claim?
If you have been a victim of football child abuse then we would take action not only against the offender but also against the football club who you played for at the time of the offence. We would work on a No Win, No Fee basis to help you get the best result possible.
The case of Lister v Hesley Hall (2011) reiterates this. It was found that an employer could be found to be vicariously liable for assaults committed by his employee provided the assaults were committed in the course of his employment or closely connected to it.
Contact us today for a free informal chat with one of our legal experts. With over 20 years experience in the legal industry we offer a sympathetic approach with child abuse claims as we understand it is a very sensitive subject. We will also ensure you receive the best advice for your individual needs.
