No Win, No FeeUnfortunately, when child sexual abuse occurs, the abuser often holds a position of trust. Being sexually abused by a teacher can lead to serious psychological issues that stay with the victim for the rest of their life. While it’s true to say that being compensated if your teacher sexually abused you won’t undo the wrongs they did, it could help you to begin the recovery process. Our guide to claiming compensation for being sexually abused by a teacher will show you what options you have if you do decide to take action.
We know that talking to us about what happened may be hard but our specially-trained advisors are able to help. Should you call for a free initial consultation, they’ll go over everything with you and provide no-obligation legal advice about what you may wish to do next. If you have a reasonable chance of being compensated, a solicitor from our panel could represent you on a No Win, No Fee basis so you won’t face legal fees unless you are compensated.
There’s more information on claiming compensation after sexual abuse by a teacher throughout this guide. If you’d like to talk to us at any point, please call 0800 652 1345.
Types of sexual abuse by a teacher compensation could be claimed for
It is important to point out that any type of sexual abuse by a teacher is wrong and should never be tolerated. Any form of abuse could entitle you to claim compensation. The following are examples of sexual abuse according to the NSPCC:
Physical sexual abuse (contact)
- Being touched sexually on any part of the body (with or without clothes).
- Forcing a child to engage in sexual activity.
- Sexual penetration or rape.
- Forcing a child to touch another person sexually.
Non-contact sexual abuse
- Showing a child pornographic material.
- Making a child watch sexual acts.
- Exposure or flashing.
- Sexual activity online (phone or webcam).
- Forcing a child to make sexual videos or images.
For many sexual abuse victims, suffering will last for many years beyond when the abuse was being carried out and impact all aspects of their lives. If you work with a solicitor from our panel, they’ll try to ensure all aspects of your suffering are compensated for if your sexual abuse claim is successful.
Signs that a child is being sexually abused by a teacher
The NSPCC says that the following could all be signs of child sexual abuse:
- Eating problems.
- Emotional changes, anger and irritability.
- Self-harming.
- Sorness, bruises and bleeding in the genital area.
- Nightmares or bed-wetting.
Signs of online sexual abuse can include:
- The child becomes distant or seems upset regularly.
- Where the child keeps secrets about who they’re talking to or what they’re doing online.
- If the child is spending a lot more time than usual on their phone or computer.
The NSPCC advises that you don’t contact the abuser directly if your child tells you what happens. Instead, you should report what the child has told you as soon as possible and explain to the child that they’re being taken seriously and that how you’ll try to help.
How to claim compensation if you’ve been sexually abused by a teacher
There are a couple of options available to you if you’d like to claim for the suffering caused by sexual abuse by your teacher. Firstly, you could lodge a civil claim against your teacher to prove what happened. Should the court find your teacher guilty, you could request compensation from them for the suffering they caused.
However, it may be easier to claim damages from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). This option is preferred by many as it does not require you to face your teacher in court and it is the type of claim we’ll concentrate on for the remainder of this guide.
The CICA scheme can compensate you for both psychological and physical injuries caused by sexual abuse.
What is the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority?
The government funds the criminal injuries compensation scheme to help victims of violent crime. CICA (the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority) manage the scheme and assesses claims on behalf of the government. Any compensation awarded is based on the scheme’s tariff of injuries.
If you’ve been sexually abused by your teacher, you could claim through the CICA for the suffering you’ve endured. Generally, claims are settled in less than 12 months but more complex claims can take longer.
Something to bear in mind is that if your teacher was never prosecuted, tried in court or found guilty, you could still be entitled to claim compensation. That’s because CICA claims are based on the balance of probabilities rather than the ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ criteria used in criminal courts. You could even claim if your teacher has died.
Can I lodge a claim through the CICA?
CICA compensation claims have a different set of criteria than other types of personal injury claims. You could be entitled to claim for a teacher’s sexual abuse if:
- The abuse occurred in England, Wales or Scotland.
- You’ve reported the crime to the police less than 2 years ago.
- You’ve cooperated fully with the police during their investigation.
- Any injuries you claim for can be verified by an independent medical expert.
As part of our initial consultation, we’ll review your chances of being compensated for sexual abuse by your teacher through the CICA scheme for free. If your claim is suitable, a specialist solicitor from our panel will work on your behalf to do all they can to secure the compensation you deserve.
Claiming compensation on behalf of a child
Many CICA claims are made by sexual abuse victims when they’re an adult. However, if your child is still under 18 years of age and you wish to claim compensation for them now, we can help.
By becoming your child’s litigation friend, you could instruct a solicitor on their behalf to try and secure compensation sooner rather than later. We can help you apply to do this and work with you once you’ve been approved.
If the claim is successful, a court will verify that the settlement amount is fair and place any compensation into a trust fund. Until your child turns 18, you’ll be able to request funds from the court as and when they’re needed.
How much compensation for being sexually abused by teacher?
Any compensation offered by the CICA will be based on how you’ve suffered. If your claim is successful, a settlement could be paid to cover:
- Any discomfort and pain caused by physical injuries.
- Psychiatric health issues.
- Medical expenses.
- Lost earnings relating to your injuries.
- Some care costs.
- Modifications to your home to help you deal with any physical disabilities.
- Specialist equipment to make it easier to cope with any injuries.
Your solicitor will go through everything with you to ensure you receive the maximum compensation possible. In all cases, costs claimed through CICA claims must be reasonable, necessary and not covered by other services like the NHS.
Mental harm caused by sexual abuse by teachers
In many cases, claimants have fully recovered from any physical injuries. However, there may be a long-lasting psychological impact caused by the teacher’s sexual abuse and this should be covered by any compensation you’re awarded.
Some examples of psychological injuries caused by child sexual abuse include:
- Sleep problems.
- Self-harming.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- Feelings of shame and guilt.
- Problems maintaining relationships with friends, partners and family.
- Drug or alcohol dependency.
- Flashbacks.
- Suicidal thoughts.
The CICA claims process requires that claims for psychological injuries are supported by medical evidence. If you’ve already received a diagnosis, your solicitor will request copies of the relevant medical notes. If not, they may arrange for you to see an independent specialist to help confirm your level of suffering and your future prognosis.
Providing proof of sexual abuse by a teacher
If you decide to make a criminal injury claim for being sexually abused by a teacher, you must have told the police about what happened. As part of the claims process, the CICA officer will investigate what’s happened and request copies of any evidence the police have gathered. In addition, the following proof may be requested to support your claim:
- Psychiatric or psychological reports to assess the extent of any mental health conditions.
- Medical notes from your GP or a hospital to assess any physical injuries you’ve received treatment for.
- Receipts, invoices and bank statements to help claim back any costs linked to your injuries.
If your claim is taken on, your solicitor will collect any proof they can that the CICA officer asks for on your behalf.
No Win, No Fee claims
Deciding to claim compensation for sexual abuse is a massive step for many claimants. The cost of hiring a solicitor to help with the claims process can make things even more daunting. However, our panel of solicitors can reduce that stress just a little by providing a No Win, No Fee service.
If you both agree to work together, your solicitor will forward you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is your contract and once it’s signed your solicitor will:
- Prepare the CICA claim on your behalf.
- Collect any information required to support the claim.
- Liaise with the CICA officer on your behalf after filing your claim.
- Keep you up to date about how your claim is progressing.
- Answer any questions you think of during the claims process.
- Discuss any settlement offers with you and try to make sure they cover all of your suffering.
When using a CFA to fund a sexual abuse compensation claim:
- There are no upfront legal fees to pay; and
- You won’t pay for your solicitor’s work if they fail to secure compensation for you.
If the CICA agree to compensate you, up to 25 per cent of your settlement will be deducted to cover your solicitor’s time and expenses. The exact percentage payable for your claim will be listed in your CFA before you sign it.
To see if you could claim compensation for sexual abuse by a teacher with a No Win, No Fee solicitor, please call today.
Time limits for claiming compensation
The eligibility criteria for sexual abuse claims made through the CICA scheme sets out a 2-year time limit. However, in exceptional circumstances, the scheme does allow some flexibility on when that 2-year period begins.
As many victims of child sexual abuse are unable to speak about what happened until later in life, the CICA allows the time limit to start from the date you contacted the police about your abuse rather than from when it occurred.
Also, if you’re claiming on behalf of your child, their time limit will not begin until their 18th birthday. As such, you needn’t worry about the 2-year limitation period if you claim before then.
If you’d like to check whether you’re entitled to begin a claim through the CICA scheme, please feel free to contact us today.
Start a sexual abuse by teacher compensation claim today
We can help to clarify your options if you’ve been sexually abused by a teacher. If you call 0800 652 1345, a specially trained advisor will review your claim with you and offer no obligation legal advice on what to do next.
Your call will be handled in confidence and we’ll try to work at a pace that suits you. If you decide that you’d like to claim and a solicitor from our panel agrees to represent you, you’ll benefit from their No Win, No Fee service. That means they’ll work on your claim without being paid in advance and you’ll only pay legal fees if you’re compensated.
If you’d rather discuss sexually abused by teacher compensation claims online, our live chat team are waiting to help.
