Sex abuse remains taboo and is swept under the carpet

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority states that victims of historic abuse have two years from their 18th birthday to make a claim if the crime was reported to police when they were children.

The same two-year rule applies to survivors who make a police complaint as adults.

But lawyers, victims and campaigners say it puts pressure on people to share harrowing details of their abuse before they may be ready to do so.

Peter Saunders, founder of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said: “This is deeply unfair and prejudiced. Victims feel shame, embarrassment and guilt, and sex abuse often erodes or destroys people’s self-esteem.

“To go down the route of obtaining justice or compensation takes some doing and people can feel very intimidated.

“Some victims don’t feel they deserve a payment after what’s happened to them and setting a time limit just makes it worse.

“Sex abuse is an area of criminality that remains taboo and is very much swept under the carpet. This policy reinforces that.”

One 26-year-old, who was raped and assaulted by her dad as a teenager, is appealing the i njury board’s decision to deny her compensation.

The woman, from the Milton Keynes area, made a police complaint when she was 14 but felt unable to go through a lengthy court case.

When she finally found the strength to take her dad to court in October 2015, he admitted guilt and was sentenced to ten years – but she was denied a payout because of the two-year time limit.

She said: “Compensation isn’t something that even goes through your mind when