Compensation time bar rule to be reviewed
The UK’s Victims Commissioner is to examine why child abuse survivors are still being denied criminal injuries despite the change in time bar law in Scotland.
Baroness Newlove is to investigate whether the UK Government’s two-year time limit on claims needs to be scrapped.
She said a change in attitudes had encouraged many childhood victims to come forward – only be discover they could not get compensation.
“We owe it to them to make sure they get all the support they need. It would be grossly unfair to deny them access to compensation on the grounds they have been timed out.”
Scotland scrapped the time bar on civil compensation cases last year – but the time limit on criminal injuries compensation remains.
Child abuse campaigner David Whelan said: “Victims of historic abuse suffer such devastating psychological abuse along with sexual and physical abuse, it can take many decades for them to feel safe enough to come forward.”
In March The Sunday Post revealed how a Glasgow mum who was sexually abused by Edinburgh paedophile Peter Christensen for five years from the age of four was denied compensation to help rebuild her life.
Her lawyer Cameron Fyfe wrote to Baroness Newlove, asking her to look at the issue.
He said: “I have now received confirmation that the issue will now be looked at.”