BBC NEWS | UK | Rape compensation still not paid

Well how come that doesn't surprise me one bit.
For those who are regular readers of The Tao will know that this is a topic which I have a great deal of interest and personal experience.
(See here and here for previous articles)



BBC NEWS | UK | Rape compensation still not paid

Let's get this straight.
Compensation is not paid to the victims because it used by the government to pay itself.

I will explain.

You have been the victim of an attack. You have gone through all the hoops and over all the hurdles that are placed in your way towards any form of justice, much to the detriment of your health so you have not been able to work or have lost your career.
The state have been paying you incapacity benefit because of this, so any compensation that you receive firstly has to go back to the government to pay for the privilege of receiving state support for being ill due to no fault of your own.

Compare to the fate of the perpetrator, either they are not convicted or, if they are, receive a community punishment, such as painting a local school (saving the local authorities thousands) or are incarcerated in one of the states prisons.
Both of these approaches deal with the rehabilitation of the offender and to pay back something to society.

In the course of these events, many thousands are spent towards this goal. There are the wages of all the 'experts' who will manage the perp. The Judge, the probation service, the police, the social worker. the supervisor of the project or the staff at the prisons, etc, all on a good wage.

The sex offender is given plenty of support to change their ways. They can be offered training and therapy. They can earn money whilst being in prison, if they are ill and unable to work they can claim the same benefits as the victim, but do not have to pay it back if they 'recover' enough to get a job.

Few of these support mechanisms exist for the victims and where they do they are patchy and uncoordinated.

Does any of this seem fair?

As I said, I am not surprised, given that most students, those who will go on to be our police officers, social workers, judges etc believe that most women invite rape or even that it is a consequence of their actions.

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So you went out got yourself raped then did you love? Were you drinking?. The sound of air being sucked over teeth.

This is another example of the attitude towards victims of these sexual crimes.

The mindset of blame and punish the victim starts with the police and proceeds all the way through the CPS, the courts and finally, as we see now, with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

The standard £11,000 award seem paltry when compared to the levels of compensation paid out to victims of miscarriages of justice or police officers involved with a 'harrowing and dangerous assignment'.

'It's been a huge strain on family relationships and the fact the whole way through the police and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority have insinuated that I was to blame or I wasn't telling the truth, has allowed people to make judgements about me. '

Exactly!

The effects of these type of crime last throughout the victims lives.

They can end up falling foul of the law due to the amount of distress, they can lose their friends, their families and partners, their careers.

And £11,000 (if you haven't contributed in getting yourself raped by what you were, a: drinking b: wearing, c: talking about, d: being out without a chaperon) is going to help put that right?






BBC NEWS | UK | 'I felt like I'd been slapped'

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