Professional legal advice for CICA Child Abuse Compensation claims
If you've suffered child abuse, you may be able to make a CICA (Criminal Injuries Compensation Award) compensation claim, if you're unable to make a civil claim. We can help you assess your circumstances and establish whether or not you have a realistic claim.
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What is a CICA claim?
The CICA is a government scheme intended to compensate victims of certain crimes. The scheme is only intended as a last resort to be used in very specific circumstances. We can advise you whether or not the CICA scheme is the best way for you to achieve compensation.
The scheme can be used to claim compensation for child abuse. However, most claims for child abuse will involve taking civil action against the abuser or an organisation (for example, their employer if they carried out the abuse in the course of their employment). The CICA scheme is intended for when all other options have failed to give you a fair level of compensation. For example, your abuser may be deceased or have insufficient assets to compensate you, or the company may no longer exist.
Should I make a CICA claim for child abuse?
In reality, this is not something you need to concern yourself with at this stage. Whether you claim against your abuser, an organisation or the CICA scheme is something that will be decided much further down the line. For any child abuse claim, the first steps remain the same - you should get in touch to discuss your circumstances and get the advice you need. We can advise you on who to claim against at the appropriate time.
How will legal advice help me?
Any legal process can be daunting, but child abuse is one of the most distressing you could ever have to deal with. We frequently speak to people who have never spoken to anyone else about their abuse before, and it is not uncommon for them to have stayed silent about their experiences for years or even decades. Speaking to one of our solicitors about your abuse can be a weight off your mind and help you start to move forward.
Our Child Abuse Compensation specialists
How can Switalskis help me?
All of our child abuse compensation team are experienced specialists. They are very aware of how distressing it can be to discuss past child abuse and have helped many others through this process. You can speak to them by phone or in person. Where possible we look to offer a home visit so that you feel more at ease and can speak freely. If you have a preference for speaking to a male or female solicitor, this can also be arranged.
Call our free, confidential child abuse helpline on 0800 138 4700 or contact us through the website if you'd like to discuss your circumstances with one of our solicitors.
