Dear friends

Ministry of Justice consultation on compensation 

Please send your views urgently to this consultation – by 5 August 2022 deadline. 

Victims of rape, sexual assault and other violent crimes must not de denied compensation because we have a criminal conviction.

While the consultation is only about unspent convictions for which CICA has no discretion and must refuse any award, spent convictions can result in a reduction or refusal at the discretion of CICA. We are against convictions being used in this way.

We’ve fought this discriminatory rule for years, helping to build a network of victims ready to challenge it and often win their case. Now is our chance to get rid of this unfair rule.

This consultation was triggered by Kim Mitchell, a woman in our network, taking the MOJ to court for leaving this discriminatory rule out of their last consultation in 2020. She won and the court ordered the MOJ to consult the public about it.

Compensation is often the only official acknowledgement victims of sexual violence get, as most cases never reach court. Rape and sexual assault are devastating and life-changing. To deny compensation to victims, most of whom have already been denied justice, just because they have a conviction for an unrelated offence is outrageous.

“This has deprived 895 sexual assault victims of any compensation in the five years up to 2020 – half to two-thirds had been assaulted as children.”

This figure is from our petition, Stop Denying Compensation to Victims of Sexual Assault. Please sign the petition HERE – it all adds pressure onto the government.

The convictions of most women victims are very minor – like non-payment of a TV license, or underage drinking. We’ve done the time. Let’s tell the MOJ to stop punishing victims twice!

If you are a victim of crime, or know someone who is, are in an organization, or are a caring person keen to help – tell your friends, family and colleagues to fill in the consultation. Everyone can send in their views.

The consultation is asking which convicted people should be refused compensation – we don’t think any should. It’s just not relevant to the pain you suffered as a victim of rape/assault. The more people write in the more pressure on the government to change course.

If you’re unsure how to answer all the questions in the consultation, don’t worry, you can answer just the questions you are clear about, or just send them an email about why you feel strongly this rule must end. You may want to use some of the facts and arguments we make in our petition.

Please send us a copy of anything you send in. And don’t forget to sign our petition too.

We’d love to hear from you! Contact us at war@womenagainstrape.net

Power to the movement against rape,

Lisa Longstaff, for Women Against Rape