Law Weblog

95% of violence victims do not seek compensation

Friday 21 November 2008 at 7:59 am | In News | Post Comment

In a damning indictment of ministers’ aim to prioritise victims of crime, it has been revealed that two thirds of victims are unaware that they were eligible for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

  A report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee says that even where people do apply, they are hampered by a complex application form and suffer delays in receiving their money because of bureaucracy.

It is said that since MPs’ delivered a “withering verdict” eight years ago, the performance of the authority had deteriorated even further.

The MPs’ report, Compensating Victims of Violent Crime, criticises the Ministry of Justice for affording the agency a low priority despite its claims to put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system.

Times report here