CICA Claim for Sexual Assault. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is a government-funded body that was established to pay compensation awards to the victims of violent crime. All applications are considered and there is no bar to bringing a claim as long as certain conditions for an award are met.
There is a maximum award of £500,000.00 and payments are made to victims of physical and psychological assault, as well as sexual assault. Awards are made in accordance with the CICA’s tariff-based payment system.
Some CICA claims can be straightforward, others are more complicated. We are here to help you through every step and ensure that you receive the correct level of compensation and the compensation that you deserve.
Qualifying for an award
To qualify for an award the Applicant will need to show the following:
- The incident occurred in Great Britain.
- The application has been made within two years of the date of the incident, or within two years of reporting it to the police, or within two years of your 18th birthday if the incident occurred to you below this age. The CICA does have some discretion in this area particularly when dealing with sexual offenses. Do not reject the idea of making an application if you fall outside of the two-year period. We have recovered awards on applications made outside this period.
- You must have given full cooperation to the police and the courts if required.
The CICA may refuse an award if the Applicant has a criminal conviction, but again there is some leeway when it comes to applications made by the victims of rape and sexual assault. The CICA will consider each matter on its own merit and again we can advise you on the chances of success.
Please note it is not necessary for there to have been a criminal conviction or even an arrest for your application to be successful. The CICA has a lower burden of proof than criminal courts. Basically, this means that even if somebody has been tried and acquitted of a crime you may still be able to receive an award.
Levels of awards made by the CICA
The CICA operates a multiple-award scheme. This means that if you have suffered more than one injury you will receive compensation for the first three injuries on a sliding scale of 100 percent for the most severe injury, 30 percent for the second-most severe, and 15 percent for the third. There is no additional payment for any further injuries.
In addition to compensation for your injuries, you may be entitled to receive an award for treatment and other related costs. We can provide full advice on all aspects of CICA claims. In addition to a CICA claim, you may also be able to bring a civil claim directly against your attacker. You should consider this if they have the finances to pay any award. Also, in some circumstances, you can make a claim against their, or your own employers.
Please note if you are successful in your claim against an individual directly then you will have to repay to the CICA any award you have received from them, up to a maximum of the award or the amount of the civil claim whichever is the lower.
Get the help you need with your CICA claim for sexual assault
To see how we can be of assistance and for a confidential assessment of your potential claim get in touch with us today. All claims, whether to the CICA or directly against your assailant can be dealt with on a no win-no fee basis.
To see how we can help get in touch with us today:
- call: our team on 0113 244 0597
- email: [email protected]
- Pop your details into the contact box and we will get back to you
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