Stuart Hall Victims Seeking Criminal Injury Claims

Some of the victims of TV entertainer Stuart Hall are seeking compensation either from the man himself or from broadcasting company the BBC. If any of the claims are successful then it is plausible that there could be hundreds of cases from victims of Jimmy Saville and other celebrities currently under investigation by the police. Although there is usually a time limit to claiming in such cases, many of the victims have been advised to seek compensation especially as Hall has only just been sentenced recently.

Stuart Hall initially received a sentence of 15 months but the conviction was doubled to a 30 month sentence following an appeal of the conviction. Hall will now serve a 30 month sentence as well as being stripped of is OBE. However, while the sentence punishes Hall for his crimes, it does not help the victims, many of whom may still be affected today.

With most criminal injury compensation cases, the amount of compensation that is to be paid is determined by a number of factors including the type and severity of injury sustained. Guidelines of injury types and the tariffs paid for these injuries are published, but the effects of sexual and physical abuse are psychological as well as physical and this makes the compensation claim a complex one. Redress is still available but it will usually require the involvement of an experienced criminal injury solicitor to ensure the best result.

There is typically a two year statute for making a claim from CICA but there is special dispensation made for victims of sexual abuse. The guidelines and the board appreciate that many victims do not come forward straight away and that this is a recognised symptom of the ill effects of abuse. Therefore, even if a person has been abused many years ago, they may still have a right to claim compensation.

Criminal injury compensation pays a fixed amount for the type and severity of injury and also adds elements for special payments. These special payments can include anything from loss of earnings to the need for long-term or ongoing care and are designed to ensure that the victim is not left out of pocket as a result of the attack they were a victim of.

CICA Criminal Injury ClaimsDec 14th, 20130 comments