No matter how long ago the abuse happened, you still deserve justice.
If you’ve experienced historical sexual abuse, AbuseClaims.co.uk can assist you in claiming compensation for the physical and emotional pain you’ve endured.
Whether the abuse was by someone you know or within an organisation like a school, sports team or religious setting, our team of specialised legal experts will be able to help you seek the justice you deserve.
What is historic abuse?
Historical abuse refers to instances where an adult experienced sexual abuse as a child or young person under the age of 18. This can involve a single incident or multiple occurrences of abuse, carried out by a stranger, a relative, or someone familiar.
Sexual or physical abuse is considered a crime regardless of the victim’s age. According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), child sexual abuse involves coercing or encouraging a child to participate in sexual acts. It remains abuse even if the child does not initially understand that something is wrong.
At AbuseClaims.co.uk, our team of experienced legal professionals are here to help you navigate the best path for pursuing your claim. With a deep understanding of handling sensitive cases, we are dedicated to offering the support needed for a successful outcome.
We operate on a No-Win, No-Fee basis, so you won’t incur any costs unless your claim is successful. A dedicated advisor will oversee your claim from start to finish, keeping you updated regularly and ensuring that the process remains as smooth and stress-free as possible.
What is Institutional child sexual abuse?
In some cases, if the historic abuse has occurred within an organisational setting, for example, an after-school club or within a religious setting, this might be referred to as Institutional child sexual abuse.
Some examples of this include the following (however, this list is not exhaustive).
- School staff attacking pupils
- Young people abused in children’s homes
- Football coaches preying on children in their coaching teams
- Youth group leaders singling out children (often on trips away from home)
- Religious staff attacking children
- Doctors or hospital staff
How to make a historic abuse claim
This area of the law is highly specialised, and it is important to have a solicitor who has experience pursuing claims for compensation for historic sexual and physical abuse and assault.
Whilst these claims are personal injury claims, there are many aspects that differ from general personal injury claims. At AbuseClaims.co.uk, our team of legal experts are trained in dealing with these types of cases and will be able to offer seasoned advice for a successful outcome.
You can contact us for a free no-obligation chat. We will advise you whether you are eligible to make a claim and the likely level of damages.
If you decide to pursue the claim we will do all the work for you, keeping you informed at every stage.
Should I make a claim?
Before deciding whether to pursue a claim, it’s crucial to seek initial legal advice to evaluate the merits of your case. At AbuseClaims.co.uk, we offer a free assessment and are happy to discuss your situation at no cost.
If a solicitor determines that your claim has merit, it’s also important to consider the potential impact on your health. Litigation can be a stressful process that may negatively affect your well-being. While we cannot provide medical advice, we must inform you that pursuing a claim may bring up traumatic memories of the abuse, which could impact your mental health.
Please keep in mind that the primary outcome of a successful claim is financial compensation. While you may hope for answers through litigation, most cases settle out of court, which could leave some of your questions unresolved.
Your doctors may advise that revisiting the trauma could hinder your recovery. The decision to proceed should be made in consultation with your medical advisors and is entirely up to you.
If you choose to move forward with a claim, our team will do everything possible to support you and minimise the stress throughout the process.
Frequently asked questions
What is a redress scheme?
Although in many cases we pursue these types of claims through the Civil Court, Redress schemes are in place for very specific types of abuse which occurred within a particular organisation or setting. Redress schemes are designed to provide victims and survivors with compensation without the need to go to Court.
At AbuseClaims.co.uk we can assist victims of abuse to submit a claim through Redress Schemes.
While Redress Scheme claims may appear straightforward, they can be surprisingly complex. Navigating the application process without legal guidance can be challenging, as the requirements are often confusing, and the necessary information can be difficult to gather. With our experienced solicitors by your side, you can have peace of mind knowing that we’ll guide you through every step, ensuring your claim is as strong as possible.
How the CICA works, and compensation guidelines
In Historic Abuse cases, the CICA pay out compensation for injuries based on their tariff of injuries. You can only receive compensation for 3 injuries from this tariff, and only the highest valued will be paid the full amount. The second and third highest-valued injuries will be paid at 30% and 15% of the tariff amount respectively.
In addition to this, the CICA can give awards for special expenses that directly relate to the abuse. They must be reasonable, necessary and a direct result of the crime you’re claiming for.
In order to claim special expenses, you will need to have experienced a loss of earnings for at least 28 full weeks after the incident. There are a range of special expenses that will be backdated; however, if you wish to claim loss of earnings, this will only be paid from the 29th week onwards.
For more information on the process of claiming for historical abuse, speak to a member of our team.
Compensation guidelines
The CICA uses guidelines to establish how much compensation to issue for historic abuse claims. They pay out compensation for injuries based on their tariff and you can only receive compensation for 3 injuries from this tariff, and only the highest valued will be paid at the full amount. The second and third highest-valued injuries will be paid at 30% and 15% of the tariff amount respectively.
In addition to this, the CICA can give awards for special expenses that directly relate to the abuse. They must be reasonable, necessary and a direct result of the crime you’re claiming for.
To claim special expenses, you will need to have experienced a loss of earnings for at least 28 full weeks after the incident.
There are a range of special expenses that will be backdated; however, if you wish to claim loss of earnings, this will only be paid from the 29th week onwards.
Will I have to go to court?
If the case does not settle, then ultimately the matter would proceed to Court where a Judge would make a determination. Most cases, however, do settle out of Court, so although this is an unlikely eventuality, we cannot rule it out as an impossibility.
If you do have any concerns about this during the process of your claim, then we would be happy to discuss this with you and address any concerns you may have.
Why should I use AbuseClaims.co.uk?
AbuseClaims.co.uk is committed to handling your abuse claim on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis. If your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t owe us anything.
If your claim is successful, we will take a percentage of the compensation, meaning we only receive payment when we have achieved a positive outcome for you.
You will have a dedicated advisor who will manage your claim from start to finish, assisting with any questions or concerns along the way. If you prefer, we can assign a female advisor to handle your case.
Your case handler will also provide regular updates throughout the process, ensuring that your experience is as stress-free and smooth as possible.
Further information:
Oakwood Solicitors – Historic Abuse Claims.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
If you have suffered as a result of historic abuse or want to make a claim, get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.
Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page or call us on 0113 306 9001.
