I was abused by someone who was meant to be in a position of authority, who was meant to be the ‘replacement maternal figure’ that I so desperately craved. Abandoned by my mother aged 2 and a half, my dad met my stepmum, aged six and well… my readers know what happened next. Jealous of my ‘Dad‘ having another child who was not born to her, she played up to the ‘wicked stepmother’ archetype and would physically and emotionally beat me with her vicious words. In her eyes I was a nobody, a nothing and someone who was very much in her power. Because of her I have issues with my perception of body image, because of her I struggle to trust loved ones and because of her I have a constant guard up as I am scared of getting hurt. But today is not about telling my story, no today is about helping many of you readers, who have been affected by abuse and have reached out to me over the years. I want you to know that at the end of a rickety bridge lies a rainbow and that rainbow harnesses the most magical light that you have ever seen.
When I first shared my experiences of abuse, I was gratified by how many of you reached out to me and shared your own stories. It saddened me that so many of you had been victims of domestic violence, rape, physical and emotional abuse and I vowed to continue to raise awareness of a topic that was so close to my heart. But even if you are scared to come forward with your story… don’t be. There are ways that you can escape violent situations and there are resources and outlets that will help you claim compensation for abuse like Cica UK. No matter what you are going through, or how dark the darkness might feel, keep swimming because there is a way out.
Bethnal Green Road Mural By @ketones6000’s
How To Claim Compensation If You Were Abused As A Child
Did you know that there were over 58,000 children identified as needing protection from abuse in the UK in 2016? Or that 1 in 14 adults were recorded as being sexually abused as children according to figures from the Office for National Statistics, with 90 % of sexually abused children being abused by someone they knew? Sadly the statistics don’t surprise me; I was abused by my stepmother, have had friends who have been abused by their Dad’s and in some cases readers have come forward stating they had been abused by their Brothers, Aunty’s and more.But the question is, how can those who were abused as children claim compensation?
This applies to: those currently going through child abuse, adults who were abused as children or children who were abused.
You Should Claim Compensation If…
- It has affected your ability to work, by causing you to have a psychological illness, which equates to a loss of earnings.
- If you need to pay for private counselling or therapy, in order to be able to deal with and overcome your childhood abuse.
- If you are a child who is being abused/and/or know someone who is a minor that is being abused
The forms of Childhood abuse include but are not limited to: Neglect, Emotional Abuse, Sexual Abuse and Physical Abuse.
The Wasp Woman On Bethnal Green Road @Ketones6000s
How To Claim Compensation For Physical Abuse And Violent Crimes
Unfortunately legal aid as we all know is expensive but you shouldn’t let that stop you from ensuring the ‘criminal in question’is punished for their actions. In my case, my abuser was only given community service and a criminal record that prohibited her from working with kids for five years, but if I had reported her abuse now, it is almost guaranteed that she would be behind bars.
There are many ways that you can ‘sue an abuser’ and they include:
- Suing The Abuser through making a claim to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. CICA administers a compensation scheme for injuries caused to victims of violent crime in England, Scotland and Wales. For example if they decide that you are ‘eligible for compensation’, there is a tariff system that works out how much you should be awarded, in accordance to the injuries you have sustained. Please note this applies to victims of domestic violence and other forms of abuse, that is not limited to ‘childhood abuse’. If you are a young person under 18, you can still take someone to court but you need to appoint someone -known as a next friend- who is an adult and can help start this action on your behalf.
- If you have been abused and your abuser has been successfully convicted for a criminal offence involving abuse, the maximum payout they can award you is 5,000, and is dependent on the abusers financial circumstances. This is different to the CICA because you can’t apply for this sort of compensation for yourself .
- If you have been a victim of sexual abuse or assault either as a child or adult you may be eligible to make a claim for compensation. For example CIC has a national helpline 01423 593002 where you can speak to advisers about how to sue your abuser who sexually abused or assaulted you. Although CICA has time constraints i.e. reporting the abuse within two years of it happening or being under the age of 20, a ‘abuse time claim limit calculator’ can help CICA override the time constraints and help you with your case.
Wasp On Bethnal Green Street @ketones6000’s
The CICA Injury Tarrif System
- £3,500 Fractured Jaw
- £27,000 Loss of an Eye
- £1,500 Loss of a Tooth
- £1,000 Fractured Tibia
- £11,000 Scarring
How Much Does Suing An Abuser Cost?
Unfortunately, companies like CICA cannot pay your legal fees, and there is often a maximum 25 % VAT rate that they charge. However please note that they work on a ‘no win no fee basis’ which means that if they cannot win your case or if your case is deemed unsuccessful, you will not be charged. Depending on the ‘injury tarrif system’, if you have received compensation for scarring (which is worth 11,000, they will charge 25 % of that fee which is 2750, whereas £1,500 for a loss of an eye will mean you would pay CICA £875 out of your compensation.
But How Do I Claim Compensation If I Have Been Emotionally Abused
and claiming compensation is not just limited to physical abuse either: while emotional abuse is harder to quantify than physical abuse-as the scars are not visible-you can still sue your abuser:
- Gather evidence- to demonstrate the physiological impact of the abuse, present evidence of how being abused has affected your life. This might be presenting evidence of seeking help for depression and anxiety- i.e. prescription notes, appointment cards ect and can include -but is not limited to- medical records, evidence of therapy and medication, evidence of ‘physical stress’ like chronic pain, heart disease ect and documents that show missed days at work.
- Finding An Attorney- a word of warning, since ’emotional abuse’ is often classed as ’emotional distress’ in court and thus harder to prove, as it is based on a contingency basis, meaning that they get no money unless their client wins a settlement, it might be harder to find a lawyer willing to take the case. But don’t let that put you off, you might not see ’emotional abuse’ as a form of abuse but it is. And while it is harder to prove, we should always seek action against those who have harmed us or loved ones.
Whether you have been sexually, physically or emotionally abused, have been raped, a victim of domestic violence or emotionally manipulated, remember you are not alone. Despite what your abusers might make you think or how they might make you feel, being abused does not make you worthless. You are a warrior, and regardless of whether you are able to claim compensation or not, just know that you are powerful. Never doubt yourself.
Blackburn Open Walls Ketones6000
Websites And Resources You Can Access
For Advice On Child Abuse
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk
http://www.supportline.org.uk/problems/child_abuse.php
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/report-abuse/
For Advice On Domestic Violence
http://www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk/
http://www.refuge.org.uk/what-we-do/our-services/helpline/
For Advice On Rape And Sex Related Crimes
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Sexualhealth/Pages/Sexualassault.aspx
Have You Dealt With Abuse Or Know Someone Who Has?
*Disclosure
Please note this is a collaborative post with CICA but all research is my own.
Wow . I don’t really know what to say . I’m so sadden to read about your own personal struggle and the abuse. You seem , to me , a very strong person.
You’ve clearly done your research here and I am happy , if that’s the right word ,that there is compensation,I imagine money really isn’t the answer but it can help in the aftermath.
It’s very sad all at the same time.
Thinking of you and those who are affected by such horrid abuse x
Well I really feel bad after reading this. But as always I respect you as I said last time. But yes those who have hurt emotionally how can we collect money when it is caused by something else. Really feel bad who makes the world even worse as it is. But I really want to say you are very marvellous woman.
But by all of that research you should be doing law. And I hope you do best in your life, which I am pretty sure you are doing.
Im so sorry about what you went through! Thats aweful. You have managed to turn such negative experiences into a positive by writing such helpful posts for other people! Because of you people are given courage to leave! I never realised that you could claim compensation for abuse and it isnt something a lot of people would think of but its worth persuing even if its to get an ounce of justice!
I felt so sad about this, 58k children needing protection from abuse in just one year 2016 in just UK. This world is heading towards so inhumane behaviours. We need such a list for all places and need to raise awareness to victims to reach out to these centres. The world needs so much justice.
Gosh, I always feel so sad to think about what you went through but filled with admiration at how brave you are. This is so helpful to those who have been through abuse, they deserve to seek compensation and although it wont change things, it may help them a little to begin to repair their lives.
You’ve been through so much and
I honestly had no idea you could even claim for such trauma. Anyone who has experience this certainly deserves compensation nothing can turn back the hands of time.
It’s so so sad that this is even something some have to consider – your experiences are truly heartbreaking.
You have a devastating past yet you got the courage to stand up and now you have grown into a good person. Thank you for sharing this kind of info that I am sure of will help abused men and women. Hopefully, there will be more people who could extend help in their own way. And I agree that an abused person deserves compensation and for the offender to get what he/she really deserve
A tough subject to blog about and sadly i’m sure many will find your advice useful and if they have suffered as you have this will make it easier for them to start the process.
Good to know abused people can claim compensation. I must confess, I never knew this was possible in most cases. Great info here.
Great post – love the amount of research you’ve done on this. It’s not something I would persue myself, but I hope other can and will.
Youve been through a terrible experience and one that I could never imagine. Your bravery for speaking out is commendable. I never knew you could claim compensation and whilst is can never take the emotional toil away I’m sure it can help to get some justice.
I never realised that people could claim compensation for abuse. Unless it was physical and they had evidence, how would they prove it though?
I had no idea people who have suffered abuse can claim compensation. I am sure this is a really useful post for those who have suffered and may be able to claim x
Sadly, many who have experienced some form of abuse remain silent for all sorts of reasons. Organizations like CICA help so many walk through the door to begin a much needed healing process.
When ever I read about abuse or even seeing ads about it I get so angry that another human being can inflict such pain and damage to another.
Glad to learn of CICA and the help they can offer to those in need
I had no idea you could claim compensation for psychological abuse. I think the hard bit would be proving it happened though…. it could be a minefield of false allegations too.
I think it is really hard to claim if you have been abused. Because claim can never fulfil your life that has been already lost. I appreciate your writing to on claim for abuse. Thank You for writing an amazing piece of an amazing article.
Sorry to have heard about your story. It saddens my heart. Thanks for sharing this post about the claims.
It is so sad to read about abuse people suffer and also what you had to go through when you were growing up Ana. It is great that you are raising awareness and also helping people. I never knew you could claim for things like this. I hope people do.
I had no idea that you could claim compensation for abuse – it will never make up for what happened, but hopefully it gives people a sense of justice x
What a wonderful thing the UK is doing. Truly putting their money where their mouth is ongoing after people who abuse children. It also sounds like they’ve tightened the laws over the years. Those things only happen if people who have been abused start to take a stand against it and work to change things. As always, thank-you Ana, for being willing to pass along information that can truly help others. x
Abuse compensation is now a big issue in India. Would help if there are clearer and stricter regulations in place though! See people running to lawyers without any plan!
I’m so sorry about your past struggles, but I’m impressed of what you become today. I never thought that you were a victim of abuse that can leave psychological wounds that are harder to heal than bodily injuries.
And now, look at you, you’ve managed to turn such awful experiences with a positive attitude and helpful posts. Thank you for this insightful post, I never realize that you can claim compensation for abuse.
As others have said, I’m sorry to hear of your own story of abuse, and I also didn’t know people who have been abused could claim compensation based on certain criteria. I wonder if the same is true in the US. I always wonder what goes through the mind of someone like your stepmother who seem to think it’s perfectly fine to emotionally, verbally, and/or physically abuse another human being – especially a child! Kudos to you for being willing to share your story and provide so many resources for other people.
This is so sad but a really good post to show how victims can be compensated.
I feel sad to hear your story of abuse. However, claiming compensation isn’t something that we hear a lot or actually, they got that compensation. Even in India, there are laws and courts sessions regarding this but how well it works is not known.
However, I feel by sharing it to us, you might be feeling better and positive.
I wish I had known more about this when I left home with nothing it could have made a huge difference I think.