Sexual abuse by a therapist claims can be made through 3 main avenues. Directly against the therapist themselves, against your healthcare provider as a vicariously liable institution, or, which is what our guide is focused on, through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). This government-sponsored agency gives the victims of violent crimes a way of seeking some compensation if other avenues are not available to them.
CICA claims are valued in line with the fixed tariff from The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. The 2012 Scheme also allows compensation to be paid for certain financial losses as part of your claim. We appreciate that this seems a little intimidating, and that the absolute last thing you want to worry about, having experienced sexual abuse from someone who should have protected you, is revisiting the details of what took place. So, the solicitors at Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice strive to make the claims process simple, easy to understand and as stress-free as possible. From helping you collect evidence, to communicating with both the police and the CICA, our criminal injury experts will support you every step of the way.
But don’t just take our word for it. Why not get in touch with our advisors and find out more about the claims process, or get a free eligibility check today? You can reach us using any of the contact information provided here:
- Call us on 0333 091 8597.
- Contact us online by completing a callback form.
- Click the live chat on your screen now.
Select A Section
- Can You Claim For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist?
- Is There A Time Limit When Claiming For Therapist Sexual Abuse Through The CICA?
- How To Claim For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist
- How Much Compensation Could I Receive For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist?
- Claim For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist With Our Solicitors
- More Resources About Sexual Abuse Claims
Can You Claim For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist?
Yes, you can claim for sexual abuse by a therapist through the CICA. This is called making a criminal injury claim. While this guide examines non-consensual sexual contact and sexual violence, it should also be pointed out that any romantic or sexual relationship between a therapist and patient, even if entirely consensual, is a serious breach of professional boundaries and ethics.
In order to make sexual abuse by a therapist claims through the CICA, the following will need to be demonstrated:
- You were the victim of a crime of violence. Per the 2012 Scheme, a crime of violence can be a physical attack, including sexual assault, as well as other acts or omissions that are violent in nature. Sexual abuse by a therapist is a clear example of this.
- The crime occurred in Great Britain or another relevant place. The CICA deal with claims for crimes that took place in England, Scotland or Wales, as well as relevant places, which can include ships that sail under the British flag and British-controlled aircraft.
- This crime was reported to the police. In order to make a CICA claim, the crime needs to be reported. Certain exceptions to the reporting requirements may apply but we’ll examine this later on.
You can learn more about starting a claim in your particular circumstances, or get a free eligibility check from our advisors today.
Is There A Time Limit When Claiming For Therapist Sexual Abuse Through The CICA?
Typically, there is a 2 year time limit when claiming for therapist sexual abuse through the CICA, although some conditions are applicable. Concessions can be made if exceptional circumstances meant you could not go to the police right away, so it is always worth speaking to our advisors.
The time limits for minors are:
- Persons under 18 who experienced childhood sexual abuse who reported the crime to the police have 2 years from their 18th birthday, exceptional circumstances notwithstanding.
- If a person under 18 did not report the child sexual abuse to the police, then the 2 years are counted from the date of reporting. Once again, exceptional circumstances must be demonstrated if the report was not made straight away. This is particularly relevant to historic abuse claims.
You can get free, confidential advice on the time limits by speaking to our advisory team today.
How To Claim For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist
Here, we examine how to claim for sexual abuse by a therapist, focusing on obtaining evidence and making sure there is an official record of the crime. After surviving such a serious crime, the prospect of dealing with the complex administrative task of organising a claim while trying to focus on your recovery can seem very daunting. So, we aim to take up as much of the slack as we can, providing tailored support, ensuring your claim is backed up by the right evidence and made within the correct time limit.
We’ve explored some of the key steps below. Remember, our advice lines are open 24 hours a day so please do not hesitate to get in touch with questions or for a free eligibility consultation.
Putting Your Wellbeing First
Your wellbeing, recovery and ongoing treatment are the primary focus. Which means it is vital to engage with therapy, counselling and other care from your GP. After what happened, we understand how difficult this will be, and the immense breach of trust that you have experienced. Our solicitors will ensure all relevant records are obtained, reviewed and then presented to the CICA in a way that not only clearly demonstrates the full extent of the harm you have experienced, but also protects you from re-living the trauma any more than is necessary for the purposes of the claim.
Generating Official Records
The CICA requires any crime you are seeking compensation for to be reported to the police, which can present a barrier for adult survivors making historical abuse claims. Our solicitors will make sure you don’t have to go through this alone, providing the right legal advice and communicating with both the police and CICA.
Gathering Supporting Evidence
Like with any claim, you’ll need to provide supporting evidence to demonstrate what happened to you as well as your eligibility to claim. The CICA will require:
- Medical evidence showing you experienced injuries compensated under the 2012 Scheme.
- Proof you meet the residency requirements.
- Your crime reference number from when the crime was reported to the police.
Additional records from your time in therapy, personal journals and statements collected from friends and family you relied on for emotional support may also be used where applicable. You won’t need to prove the crime actually took place as the CICA will contact the police for evidence from the investigation.
A solicitor will assist you in gathering the right evidence and building a comprehensive case, even if the proof stretches back over years.
Documenting The Effects
Keeping a personal diary of the long-term effects and other impacts the abuse has had on your life will strengthen the claim. Formal medical records and such evidence only tell part of the story. Record the impact on your ability to work, your personal relationships, health and social life. SACA’s solicitors can then use this to help draft statements, and organise these details so that the compensation accurately reflects the extent of your losses.
Be Mindful Of The Time Limits
CICA time limits can be quite strict and navigating them often requires the input of a criminal injury solicitor. While the standard time limit is two years from the date the incident took place, this doesn’t often fit neatly into cases of historical abuse or where exceptional circumstances meant you couldn’t notify police until years later. Having an expert solicitor in your corner will make handling the time limit much easier, as we can assist you with all the steps given above, which feed directly into getting a historical claim considered.
Please speak to an advisor to learn more about sexual abuse by a therapist claims, even if the event happened many years ago.
How Much Compensation Could I Receive For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist?
You could receive up to a maximum of £500,000 in compensation for sexual abuse by a therapist. This maximum sum includes payments for lost earnings and as well as other financial harm as we’ll examine below. Solicitors will use the evidence they helped you gather alongside the tariff from the 2012 Scheme to determine a potential compensation figure to bring to the CICA. We have set out some examples of CICA payouts in the table below.
CICA Payout Table
Please note that the amounts given in this table were taken from a fixed tariff
| Injury | Tariff Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Injuries with a Loss of Earnings and Special Expenses | Up to £500,000 | Up to 3 injuries sustained alongside a loss of earnings and special expense such as car costs and aid equipment. |
| Non-Consensual Penile Penetration - Serious Internal Injuries + Mental Illness | £44,000 | Serious internal bodily injury with permanently disabling mental illness confirmed by professional diagnosis. |
| Non-Consensual Penile Penetration - Serious Internal Injuries | £22,000 | Where the person has sustained serious internal injuries due to the violent crime. |
| Non-Consensual Penile Penetration - One Attacker | £11,000 | Non-consensual penile penetration by a single attacker. |
| Sexual Assault - Severe Mental Illness | £27,000 | Severe and permanently disabling mental illness, confirmed by psychiatric professional. |
| Sexual Assault - Frequent Abuse over 3 years or More | £8,200 | Pattern of severe and frequent abuse over 3 years or more. |
| Sexual Assault - Serious | £2,000 | Non-penetrative act(s) under clothing. |
| Other payments - Infection with HIV | £22,000 | Where a person is infected with 1 or more of HIV, Hepatitis B or C |
| Other payments - Infection with STI | £11,000 | Infection with a sexually transmitted disease other than above. |
| Other payments - Pregnancy | £5,500 | Pregnancy as a result of a violent crime |
The CICA use the multiple injuries formula in cases where more than one injury has been suffered. In these instances, compensation is determined as follows:
- 100% of the tariff amount for the highest value injury sustained.
- 30% for the next highest, or an equal value injury.
- 15% for the third highest, or an injury of equal value.
While the CICA will only compensate for up to 3 injuries, a separate tariff not affected by the formula is used for pregnancy, being infected with a sexually transmitted disease and losing a foetus as a result of a violent crime.
Financial Losses In Sexual Abuse Claims
You can be compensated for financial losses as part of a sexual abuse claim. These payments are referred to as special expenses, and can cover costs including:
- The repair or replacement of any personal aid equipment that was damaged or destroyed during the violent crime.
- Home adaptations and other aid equipment to help you cope with the impact the violent crime had on you.
- Domestic care and supervision relating to bodily functions and food preparation, if you cannot do this safely by yourself.
- Administration costs relating to the management of your finances and other affairs if you do not possess the mental capacity to do this for yourself.
Any costs claimed must be necessary, reasonable and directly resulting from the crime of violence you are seeking compensation for. Special expenses payments cannot be made for anything that is accessible for free elsewhere.
You may also be entitled to loss of earnings payments, although certain eligibility requirements do apply. Our advisory team can provide further guidance on how a CICA claim is valued, and what you could be entitled to receive in your particular instance.
Claim For Sexual Abuse By A Therapist With Our Solicitors
When you claim for sexual abuse by a therapist with our expert sexual assault solicitors, you will benefit from decades of experience and millions won across thousands of clients. Everyone at Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice knows just how difficult it can be to come forward about crimes such as this and seek justice for what happened to you. So, we aim to make the process as straightforward as possible.
Why Choose Our Solicitors To Claim For Therapist Sexual Abuse?
By choosing our solicitors to claim for therapist sexual abuse, you are choosing to work with highly experienced and highly successful legal professionals with a long track record of winning clients the compensation they deserve. We believe in building our service around the client, taking the time to truly understand their needs and ensuring they are supported throughout the claims process.
Here are just some of the ways we can help you and the services we can provide:
- We appreciate that trusting a new therapist after what happened to you is difficult, so our solicitors are dedicated to getting you the necessary medical care, treatment and rehabilitation to come to terms with and recover from the harm caused.
- Assisting you with evidence collection.
- Ensuring any applicable CICA deadlines are met and that the claim is made within the relevant time limit.
- Calculating a compensation figure, including your loss of earnings and special expenses.
Can Therapist Sexual Abuse Compensation Be Claimed On A No Win No Fee Basis?
Yes, therapist sexual abuse compensation can most definitely be claimed on a No Win No Fee basis. Our solicitors offer eligible claimants very desirable terms under a contract known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This contract protects you from having to pay any service fees at the start of or during the claims process. Since the CFA is a No Win No Fee contract, there is also no service fee to pay if the claim is lost.
A success fee is taken from the compensation by the solicitor in the event the claim is won. This fee may be charged at a maximum percentage of 25%, capped by The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013.
Contact Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice
You can contact Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice at a time that suits you. Our advice lines are open 24 hours a day so you can get through to a member of the team around the clock. You can:
- Call us on 0333 091 8597.
- Contact us online by completing a callback form.
- Click the live chat on your screen now.
More Resources About Sexual Abuse Claims
You can read some of our sexual abuse claims guides here:
- Read more about claiming compensation for abuse in schools and educational institutions.
- See our sexual abuse compensation calculator to learn more about how payouts are determined.
- Learn more about making a claim for foster care abuse.
We’ve also provided a few external resources for additional information:
- Access mental health services through the NHS.
- You can get help from Rape Crisis on their website.
- Learn more about the work of Victim Support on their website.
Thank you for reading our guide to sexual abuse by a therapist claims.
