How To Claim Compensation For Sexual Abuse By A Father

If you have been the victim of sexual abuse, you may be able to claim compensation for sexual abuse by a father. Read our helpful guide to find out how.

Sexual abuse by a father compensation claims guide

Sexual abuse by a father compensation claims guide

A lot of children are subjected to horrific abuse in their lives, with some children being sexually abused by their father. Often, people close to the abuser and victim will not notice that abuse is taking place. Fathers who sexually abuse a child can go to great lengths to conceal their atrocious behaviour.

If you were sexually abused by your father, or your child says they are being molested, you must contact the police immediately.

We have produced this guide to help you make an informed decision about seeking compensation. Our guide provides essential information about the signs that might be present when a child is being sexually assaulted. Additionally, you will find advice on how to contact authorities so a child is protected against future harm.

For further advice on claiming compensation for sexual abuse by a father, please continue reading our guide.

If, however, you would like to speak to a member of our team, please do so by calling 0161 696 9685.

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A Guide To Claiming Compensation For Sexual Abuse By A Father

You have the right to claim compensation for sexual abuse by a father if you have been subject to this kind of abuse. If you suspect a child is being sexually abused by a father, you must get in touch with the authorities as soon as you can to protect the child.

We have put together this guide to seeking compensation for sexual abuse by a father to help you make the right decision. Our guide explains the different types of sexual abuse and how you have the right to seek compensation.

Although a monetary award will not heal your wounds, it can help to mitigate some of the negative effects that your abuse has had on you.

We offer you an idea of the level of compensation you may receive. Our guide also provides essential advice on how you could be represented by a lawyer on a No Win No Fee basis. In short, you will not have to worry about finding the money for legal representation when you claim compensation for sexual abuse by a father under a No Win No Fee agreement.

For free legal advice and support, please speak to a member of our team on the telephone number at the top of the page.

Calculate  Compensation For Sexual Abuse By A Father

Cases involving sexual abuse are extremely sensitive and each claim is treated as unique. As such, the amount of compensation for sexual abuse by a father you receive will be valued on the severity of the harm your assailant caused you.

That said, we have included a table below that provides compensation payouts received for specific harm. Claimants received these amounts in the past for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity they endured. The amounts are paid out as general damages and are based on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme tariff.

Type of harmSeverity of Sexual AssaultAmounts Awarded
Sexual abusevaginal or anal penetration causing severe harm£22,000
Sexual abuseA single sexual incident involving 1 or more assailants£13,500
Sexual abuseRepeated sexual assaults of 3 years£16,500
Sexual abuseRepeated sexual assault for more than 3 years£22,000
Sexual abuseModerate mental illness£27,000
Sexual abuseSerious mental issues£27,000
Sexual abuseSevere bodily harm/ moderate mental illness£33,000
Sexual abuseSevere bodily injury together with severe mental illness£44,000

If you cannot see the injuries and harm you suffered in our table, please get in touch with a member of our team for assistance.

Types Of Damages Awarded

You have the right to seek compensation if your child or you were sexually abused by your father. As detailed in the section above, you would receive general damages for your pain, suffering and loss of amenity. Additionally, you would receive special expenses for the financial losses stemming from the incident.

In order to claim for special expenses from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, you need to show that you suffered a loss of earnings or earning capacity, or were similarly incapacitated, for a period of at least 28 weeks.

You need to show that the expenses you are claiming are necessary and reasonable. You also need to show that the criminal injury you’re claiming for directly caused the expenses.

In order for special damages to be included in your claim, you need to provide your solicitor with proof of these losses. With the correct evidence, you can claim the following in special expenses:

Medical Expenses

  • You can claim medical expenses incurred. You can include the cost of prescriptions and private treatment not covered by the NHS

Care Costs

  • You can claim the cost of being cared for, whether it is a family member or other person who tends to your needs

Travel Expenses

  • The cost of getting to the hospital or other medical facilities and home again can be claimed in special damages. You can also claim the cost of getting to and from appointments with a solicitor

Lost Income

  • If you cannot work because of the harm you were caused, or you find it hard to remain in a job, your claim for compensation following sexual abuse by a father can include lost income compensation. When claiming through CICA, you will have to be absent from work for at least 28 weeks

Counselling Costs

  • If you suffer from mental trauma you can claim the cost of specialist counselling you incurred

For free legal advice on what you could claim back in special damages in a claim for compensation for sexual abuse by a father, please get in touch today.

What Is Sexual Abuse By A Parent?

There are many ways in which a parent can sexually abuse a child. This includes the following:

  • Touching you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable and which you do not like
  • Forcing you to look at pictures or watch videos of a sexual nature
  • Making you take part in sexual behaviour
  • Pressing you to watch something of a sexual nature online or in-person
  • Coercing you to do something of a sexual nature to somebody else

If a parent acts in the ways outlined above this constitutes sexual abuse. This type of behaviour is never acceptable under any circumstances and is never the fault of the victim of the abuse.

You may suffer physical harm, but you could also experience psychological harm that prevents you from living a normal life.

To speak to a trained adviser and to receive free legal advice, please get in touch today.

What Is The Definition Of Sexual Abuse?

Sexual abuse describes any kind of unwanted or unsolicited sexual activity or act to which a person did not consent. Sexual abuse by a parent can take many different forms, including:

  • Ritual abuse
  • Sexual exploitation
  • Rape
  • Trafficking
  • Child sexual abuse
  • Sexual assault
  • Female genital mutilation
  • ‘Honour’ based violence
  • Sexual harassment
  • Rape that takes place in a marriage or relationship

Anyone can be guilty of sexually abusing someone. According to information from the Office of National Statistics, 4.3% of men and 5.8% of women in England and Wales who were sexually abused before the age of 16 were abused by their father. This type of behaviour is never acceptable.

If you would like to discuss claiming compensation for sexual abuse by your father, please get in touch today. A specialist adviser is here to take your call which will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

Are There Different Forms Of Sexual Abuse?

Children and adults alike can be subjected to many different forms of sexual abuse. These can include being:

  • Forced into a sexual relationship with a person or multiple people
  • Subjected to rape
  • Coerced into taking part in photographs of a pornographic nature or forced to see pornographic images
  • Pressed into engaging in acts of a sexual nature with somebody
  • Forced to put on attire that you do not want to wear
  • The victim of degrading behaviour towards you
  • Pressed into prostitution
  • Called sexual names

If you were forced into any of the above or if you know your child is being sexually abused by their father, you should seek advice and support as soon as you can.

A member of our team will provide you with free legal advice on how to go about claiming compensation for sexual abuse by your father. Please do not hesitate in contacting an adviser today.

Signs Of A Sexually Abusive Parent

It is not always possible to tell when a father is sexually abusing their child. Fathers who act in this atrocious way do their hardest to conceal their actions.

That said, there are specific signs to watch out for which could be an indication that a child is being sexually abused by a parent. These can include:

  • The parent offers expensive gifts to the child for no apparent reason
  • An adult frequently takes a chosen child on outings overnight and on their own
  • Spending too much time alone with a particular child and not wanting to be interrupted
  • Being interested in a child’s sexual development at a level beyond what would be appropriate
  • Wrestling, kissing and hugging a particular child
  • Not letting a child make their own decisions when it comes to personal matters
  • Not allowing a child enough privacy

The physical and psychological damage that abuse can have is immeasurable and if you notice any of the signs above you should report this to the authorities.

To receive free legal advice about claiming compensation for sexual abuse by a father, please contact a member of our team on the number at the top of the page.

Signs Your Child Is Being Sexually Abused

If a child is being sexually abused by a parent, there are certain signs to watch out for which could include:

  • A fearful reaction towards a specific person or people
  • Fear of particular places.
  • Acting in an inappropriate sexual manner with toys or objects
  • Angry outbursts which are out of character
  • Nightmares and problems sleeping
  • A change in eating habits
  • Being exceptionally clingy or withdrawn
  • Knowing words that a young child should not be aware of
  • Being secretive
  • Unexplained amounts of money and gifts
  • Mood swings and personality changes that cannot be explained
  • Self-harming
  • Wetting the bed
  • Physical harm, such as contracting an STD
  • Running away
  • Never wanting to be alone with their father

How Long You Have To Claim Compensation For Sexual Abuse

Personal injury claims have a strict time limit attached to them when it comes to claiming compensation. Someone wishing to make a claim to the CICA must do so within 2 years of the injury being sustained. Claims for compensation for personal injury (including for sexual abuse) should be made within 3 years of the incident taking place. However, when it comes to sexual abuse claims, the time limit may vary.

Claiming for sexual abuse as a minor

If a minor (a child under the age of 18) is sexually abused, the time limit begins when they turn 18 years of age. A parent can make a claim on behalf of an abused child before they are 18 and the sexual abuse compensation would be held in a trust for the child until they are 18 years old.

That said, if a child requires special counselling, money can be withdrawn from the trust to pay this expense, and the same is true if for payment of education a child requires

Other reasons why the time limit of 3 years may not apply to a sexual abuse claim include:

  • The claimant can’t establish an actual date of injury because the sexual abuse occurred over a long period of time. Furthermore, a child may not inform anyone about their abuse for many years because they feared what would happen. They may also not understand what happened to them
  • Exceptional circumstances prevented the injured person from reporting the incident to the police at the time. This means that the 2 years will run from when the victim reports the incident.

It is always advisable to file a claim for sexual abuse sooner rather than later. The legal process involved in a claim for compensation for sexual abuse by a father can be complex.

To find out the time limit associated with your sexual abuse claim and to receive free legal advice, please speak to a member of our team today.

Where Could You Claim Compensation From?

You have various options when it comes to seeking compensation for sexual abuse by a father:

  • Make an application to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) which is a complex legal process that may be made simpler with the assistance of a personal injury lawyer
  • Pursue a personal injury claim against the perpetrator

A personal injury compensation claim will usually be the first action explored, as the amounts that these kinds of claims can attract are larger. However, it is dependent on the defendant having enough money to pay compensation. If a claim of this kind is unsuccessful, a claim to CICA may be pursued.

Because of the delicate and sensitive nature of sexual abuse claims, it is wise to seek advice from a legal expert. A personal injury lawyer has the required experience to know which option is best when claiming compensation for sexual abuse by a father.

For free legal advice and support, please do not hesitate in contacting a specialist adviser today.

No Win No Fee Compensation For Sexual Abuse By A Father

Seeking compensation for sexual assault by your father is your right. However, you may find that the cost of legal representation can put you off seeking the compensation you rightly deserve.

There is an option, which is to seek legal representation on a No Win No Fee basis. This means that you don’t need to worry about paying upfront legal fees or hourly rates when making a compensation claim following sexual assault.

There are a host of other benefits to working with a solicitor who agrees to represent you on a No Win No Fee basis. These are:

  • You can seek sexual abuse compensation with reduced financial risk
  • The ‘success fee’ is paid when you receive personal injury compensation with the amount being deducted from the money you receive
  • No upfront payment when you sign a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is the formal term for a No Win No Fee agreement
  • There are no ongoing fees to pay no matter how long a claim takes to settle
  • If the claim fails, you won’t have to pay any of your lawyer’s legal fees.

For further advice on how you could benefit from working with a No Win No Fee lawyer, please get in touch today.

Talk To Us

To start your claim for compensation for sexual abuse by your father, please get in touch with one of our specialist advisers. Your call will be treated with the utmost confidentiality because your privacy is important. You can reach a member of our team in the following ways:

More Information About Sexual Abuse Claims

Advice from NSPCC on preventing child sexual abuse:

Preventing sexual abuse in children

Childline advice on sexual abuse

Sexual abuse and bullying

Reporting rape and sexual assault:

How to report a rape and sexual assault

Please read our guide to sexual abuse compensation:

Sexual Abuse Compensation

Our guide to assault claims:

Guide to assault claims

Please click on our link to Rape claims:

A guide to claiming compensation for rape

Thank you for reading our guide to claiming compensation for sexual abuse by your father.

Other Criminal Injury Claim Guides

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