Victims of rapist Stephen Mitchell, a police officer who preyed on vulnerable women in the north east of England, have finally been awarded compensation by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). Initially, the women were denied payouts because they had criminal records. But after widespread outrage, Northumbria Police have now paid out almost £50,000 to some of the victims, with four more claims awaiting settlement.
Stephen Mitchell was jailed for life in 2011 after Newcastle Crown Court heard that he attacked at least 16 women that he met whilst on duty. In such cases, the resulting criminal injuries claims are always dealt with by CICA, a government body regulated by the Ministry of Justice. CICA awards compensation on a sliding scale depending on the severity of the injury sustained, or the nature of a sexual offence.
To qualify for an award, victims must meet certain criteria, including being totally blameless for the crime that resulted in the injury. Despite the fact that Mitchell’s abuse had nothing to do with the victims’ own offences, these women were initially denied the compensation to which they’re entitled. Thankfully, Northumbria Police has now recognised this and has apologised ‘unreservedly’ to Mitchell’s victims as well as making financial redress.
Have you been wrongfully denied criminal injury compensation?
If so, Injury Lawyers 4U can help. As personal injury specialists, we have wide experience of advising on and pursuing all kinds of criminal injury claims. We will tell you if you have a valid case for compensation and guide you through the claims process until you receive all the compensation you deserve.
There are all kinds of criminal injury claims and you don’t have to be badly hurt to qualify for an award. The main criteria to bear in mind are that the offence that resulted in your injury took place in England, Scotland or Wales within the last two years and was reported to the police at the time. You’ll also need to show that you were blameless for the crime itself and that you cooperated with the police during their investigations.
Find out if you can claim today
Contact Injury Lawyers 4U today to discuss your criminal injury compensation claim with our expert advisers. Call us at any time of the day or night on 0333 400 4445 or complete our simple online form to request a call-back from a legal adviser.
