No Win, No FeeBeing sexually abused as a child can have a lifelong effect on your ability to function properly and maintain normal and healthy relationships. If the sexual abuse was carried out by your mother, those problems can be magnified massively. While being compensated for your suffering won’t undo the abuse you suffered, it could help you to start the recovery process. Our guide on sexually abused by mother compensation claims will explain the options you may have available if you do decide to claim.
Discussing that you were sexually abused by your mother won’t be easy but we do have specially trained staff on hand to help if you would like free legal advice. They’ll review your claim compassionately and won’t pressure you in any way. If your claim is suitable though, we could partner you with a solicitor from our panel. They’ll deal with your claim on a No Win, No Fee basis if you both agree to work together.
You’ll find more information about claiming for maternal sexual abuse throughout this guide but please feel free to call us on 0800 652 1345 with any questions that arise.
Types of sexual abuse by a mother compensation could be claimed for
It is important to point out that you could claim compensation for any form of sexual abuse by your mother. That means that you could claim for:
Contact abuse
- Sexual touching of any part of your body (clothed or unclothed).
- Rape or sexual penetration.
- Forced sexual activity.
- Forcing a child to touch someone else sexually.
- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Non-contact child sexual abuse
- Flashing or exposure.
- Making a child watch pornography.
- Forcing a child to share, make or view sexual images or videos.
- Exposing a child to sexual activities.
- Forcing a child to carry out sexual activities on a webcam or smartphone.
If you suffered any form of sexual abuse by your mother when you were a child, we could help you to claim compensation for the suffering you endured at the time and since the incident. Any advice we give as part of your free consultation will be on a no-obligation basis so please feel free to call if you have any questions.
Signs of sexual abuse by mother/stepmother
According to the NSPCC, there are several signs that might indicate a child is being sexually abused. They include:
- Bed-wetting and nightmares.
- Self-harm
- Eating problems.
- Irritability, anger or other emotional changes.
- Bruises, bleeding or soreness in the genital area.
If the child is being sexually abused by their mother online, some warning signs can include:
- Seeming upset or distant.
- Hiding about what they are doing and who they are talking to.
- Spending a lot more time online or on their phone.
The NSPCC advises that you shouldn’t confront the child’s mother if they tell you they’re being abused. Instead, you should tell the child you’re taking them seriously, explain what you’re going to do and report the abuse as soon as you can.
How to claim compensation if you’ve been sexually abused by your mother
If you were sexually abused by your mother, you may have a couple of options if you’d like to pursue a compensation claim. In some cases, it may be possible to make a civil claim against your mother and ask the court to award compensation if she is found guilty.
However, in this guide, we’ll concentrate on claiming sexual abuse compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). This route could result in compensation without the need for a court hearing.
A CICA claim could lead to compensation for any mental or physical injuries caused by sexual abuse by your mother. This may even be possible if your mother is no longer alive or if she was never prosecuted by the police.
What is the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority?
CICA or the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is a government department that can compensate for criminal injuries. The CICA uses a set of criteria and a tariff of injuries to determine how much compensation you might be entitled to.
It is possible to claim compensation for sexual abuse by your mother through the scheme. CICA tries to ensure claims are settled in less than 12 months. Depending on the complexity of the claim, the process can be settled faster or take a little longer.
Importantly, you may be compensated for sexual abuse by your mother even if she wasn’t charged by the police or found guilty in court. That’s because the CICA don’t use the ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ principles of a criminal court. Instead, all decisions are based on the balance of probabilities.
Can I make a claim through the CICA?
Before you claim compensation for sexual abuse through the CICA scheme, it’s worth checking that your case meets the scheme’s eligibility criteria. They include:
- The crime must have been carried out in England, Wales or Scotland.
- You must lodge your claim within 2 years of the abuse or the date you informed the police about the abuse.
- You must cooperate fully with the police throughout their investigation.
- All injuries (whether psychological or physical) you claim for must be backed up by medical reports.
To check if you’ve got a realistic chance of being compensated by the CICA, please feel free to speak to one of our specialists. They’ll offer free legal advice and information on the claims process. There will be no pressure put on you and you’ll be under no obligation to proceed.
Claiming compensation on behalf of a child sexually abused by their mother
In some cases, maternal sexual abuse claims might need to be processed before the victim becomes an adult. In these cases, a responsible adult or guardian may decide to claim on behalf of the child so that they can be compensated sooner rather than later.
If you wish to claim compensation on behalf of a child who’s been sexually assaulted by their mother, we can help. If the claim is accepted, your solicitor help you to apply to be the child’s litigation friend. Once approved, you’ll be able to work directly with the solicitor to process the claim.
If compensation is awarded and the amount is approved by a court, it will be placed into a trust fund until the child is 18 years of age. Before that, their litigation friend can ask the court to release funds as and when needed.
How much compensation for being sexually abused by mother?
If the CICA decide to award compensation because you were sexually abused by your mum, it could cover:
- Any physical pain and suffering.
- Psychological injuries.
- Lost income if your injuries reduce your ability to work.
- Medical treatment costs.
- Equipment that helps you deal with any injuries such as adapted vehicles, mobility aids other devices.
- Costs linked to some care requirements.
- Adaptations to your home that make coping with disabilities or injuries easier.
All special expenses awarded by the CICA must be reasonable, necessary and not available from other sources like the NHS. If your claim is managed by a solicitor on our panel, they’ll try to make sure that all aspects of your suffering are covered by any compensation payment.
What psychological injuries could you claim for?
Even if you have recovered physically from the sexual abuse you suffered, you could still be suffering years or decades later. As such, it is important that any compensation settlement recognises this.
If you make a successful claim through the CICA claim, you could be compensated for:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- Flashbacks.
- Sleep disorders.
- Suicidal ideation.
- Self-harm.
- Alcohol and drug problems.
- Relationship issues with family, friends and partners.
- Feelings of guilt and shame.
To determine the level of suffering you’ve endured (and subsequent compensation levels if the claim is successful), you’ll need a supporting psychiatric report. If you’ve already been diagnosed with a mental health problem linked to sexual abuse by your mother, your solicitor will request copies of any relevant medical records. If necessary, an independent medical assessment may need to be carried out as well.
Providing proof of sexual abuse by mother
When claiming compensation for sexual abuse by your mother through the CICA scheme, you’ll have reported the crime to the police. As such, the CICA officer handling your claim will gather proof from the police to assess your claim. Other proof that might be used to support your claim includes:
- A report from a psychologist or psychiatrist to help prove mental health injuries.
- Medical records from a hospital or your GP if you’ve received medical treatment for any injuries.
- A list of expenses or costs resulting from your injuries.
Don’t worry if you don’t have the proof needed to support your claim when you call us. Your solicitor will help to gather any relevant information if they decide to take your claim on.
No Win, No Fee claims
As much as possible, we try to reduce the amount of stress involved in claiming compensation for sexual abuse by your mother. One way solicitors from our panel can help is by taking on any financial risks by offering a No Win, No Fee service to reduce your stress levels a little.
When claiming on a No Win, No Fee basis, you:
- Won’t need to pay your solicitor in advance.
- Won’t pay legal fees if the claim is unsuccessful.
- Will have a success fee deducted from any compensation to cover your solicitor’s time and expenses.
When using a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) to fund your claim, the maximum success fee you’ll pay is 25 per cent of your settlement.
Once you’ve signed the CFA, your solicitor will:
- Discuss your case with you and prepare the CICA claim.
- Gather any information needed to support the claim.
- Send the claim to the CICA and liaise with them throughout the claims process.
- Send regular updates so you know how the claim is progressing.
- Be available to answer any questions you think of.
- Try to ensure any compensation awarded is fair and reasonable.
If you have any questions about No Win, No Fee sexual abuse claims, please speak to a member of our team.
Time limits for claiming compensation
Strictly speaking, there is a 2-year time limit for sexual abuse claims made through the CICA scheme. However, some flexibility is allowed in exceptional circumstances as it is understood that many claimants cannot talk about the abuse until later on in life.
As such, you could still be entitled to claim so long as it’s been less than 2 years since you reported what happened to the police. If that’s the case, a solicitor from our panel could help you to claim compensation for your suffering through the CICA scheme.
If you’d like to check if you still have time to begin a claim, please get in touch. We’ll do all we can to make the process as easy as possible and we’ll try to work at a pace that suits you.
Start a sexual abuse by mother compensation claim today
We know that it will be hard to discuss being sexually abused by your mother with a stranger but our advisors are specially trained to help. If you call us on 0800 652 1345, your advisor will deal with your claim sympathetically and in complete confidence.
There’s no pressure or obligation to proceed but if you’d like to make a claim after your free consultation, you’ll be represented a No Win, No Fee solicitor from our panel if your claim is taken on. That means they’ll take on all of the financial risks associated with the claim and you’ll only pay for their work if compensation is awarded.
Our live chat team can also help with sexually abused by mother compensation claims if you’d rather begin the claims process online.
