 Criminal Compensation for VictimsIf you have heard of the term criminal compensation and are wondering whether you are eligible for one or not, there are several places to find out.
There have been instances where an innocent person becomes victimized by a criminal and faces severe losses. At times the injuries incurred could be physical, though these can be financial, emotional and mental injuries just as well.
Consider for example, a rape victim who needs to face physical injuries and incur huge medical bills in order to feel better physically. Then the victim will have to undergo counselling in order to patch herself up emotionally and mentally because rape victims often feel terrorized and traumatized. By the time the victim is back on her feet, she and her family have incurred huge losses and invested a lot of time and money in the process. In such cases, the CICA or the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority will grant the victim a reasonable criminal compensation, based on the losses incurred by her.
The aim behind this criminal compensation is to bring some sense of comfort to the victim, who has been through hell and has been rendered a huge injustice by the criminal. The CICA is a Government headed organization that wants people who have faced a gruesome act of terror should feel better and feel like they aren't alone in their time of need. However, not everyone is eligible for a criminal compensation. Only those who have been seriously injured can claim a criminal compensation from the CICA. The minimum amount they may grant to a person starts with £1000 and can go to as high as £250,000 where the injuries caused are more serious in nature. Also, these criminal compensations are available only to those who have been injured in England, Wales or Scotland. However, it isn't necessary that the criminal needs to be convicted for you to be eligible for a criminal compensation.
What is important is that you must send your application for criminal compensation to the CICA within two years of having incurred the injury in order to get a claim. However, if you were so seriously injured that you couldn't have possibly applied within 2 years, the CICA will consider your case for criminal compensation when you submit all relevant paperwork to prove so. However, there are a few cases where you will not be eligible for a criminal compensation according to the CICA. These are:
- If you have been living with the person who injured you, at the time of injury. Also, if the injury happened prior to Oct 1st, 1979
- If you were injured or traumatized outside of England, Wales and Scotland
- If you have already applied for prior compensation for the same injury
Also, in some cases the CICA doesn't credit a victim because of his behaviour or his conduct and chooses not to award a criminal compensation. These can be:
- Not co-operating with the police and the CICA after the injury and still wanting to claim the criminal compensation
- Bad behaviour before, during and after the injury or act of violence
- Any previous criminal records will lead to no criminal compensation
- Any kind of delays in informing the police after an act of violence or injury took place
The CICA has put down these simple rules in order to protect the rights of the real victims who truly deserve the criminal compensation. Once a person applies for the criminal compensation, an officer will be assigned to them who will check all details and analyse the extent of the injuries and the losses incurred by the victim. Based on his report, the victim is granted the criminal compensation that will be justified. However, many a times a victim feels obligated to hire a lawyer who can help him get the right criminal compensation. The lawyer usually will charge his fees only if you win the case, though there are many lawyers who try and charge a minimal amount even if you don't win the case. This is why, before you decide to apply for a criminal compensation, it will help to seek advice from other people who have been in a similar situation before taking any step. You can get advice on criminal compensation claims online.
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