Abuse victim is awarded over £100,000 after battle with CICA

Posted 20/01/19

 A victim of abuse has recovered £118,000 after winning her legal case with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.   The victim suffered sexual and physical abuse from the age of 2 years old.  Now in her 40s, she has struggled with serious mental health difficulties throughout her life because of the abuse. 

After many years she found the strength to report the abuse to the Police. The Police believed her and began to investigate her case. They knew how badly she had been affected and that she was doing everything that she could to help them. However, she was unable to cope with the police investigation because of her mental health difficulties and was struggling so much that she attempted suicide.  Also, it was not possible to identify everyone who had abused her, because she was so young when it happened.

She also applied to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). At first they rejected her application because her trauma made it impossible for her to cooperate as fully as she wanted to with the police However she challenged the CICA and after 2 years they have now accepted that she should receive a payment.

Her case was handled by GLP Solicitors. Matt Evans, a Senior Solicitor of GLP said that “It was incredibly harsh of the CICA to refuse to make a payment at first. She is clearly a genuine victim who has suffered awful abuse. Fortunately she had the strength to carry on.  I know that she feels that justice has been done, even though the offenders haven’t been prosecuted.”