Question reference: S5W-10427
- Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 21 July 2017
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Current status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 August 2017
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports from Barnardo’s, Victim Support, Liberty and Rape Crisis, which state that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) has not compensated nearly 700 child victims of sexual abuse, what its position is on the impact on victims in Scotland, and what action it can take to review CICA's guidelines for Scotland.
Answer
Compensation for victims of crime in Scotland is provided through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) in accordance with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS), which is set by the UK Government and approved by the UK Parliament. There are no separate CICS guidelines for Scotland.
CICA and the UK Government are aware of the concerns raised by these charities. CICA are reviewing their guidelines to ensure they are robust enough to deal with cases of child sexual abuse, where grooming may be a factor.