As Christmas approaches, one of our serious injury experts expresses concern over the rise in violence against women and girls

Crimes relating to violence against women in England and Wales have risen by 40% in recent years. 

A ‘national emergency’

The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and College of Policing revealed the devastating scale on which violence against women and girls has rocketed and classed this dire situation a ‘national emergency’. 

The number of crimes reported have increased from 789,703 in 2018/19 to a staggering 1,080,157 in 2022/23.  As a criminal injuries expert, this is deeply concerning.

The types of crime reported vary from rape and other types of sexual offences to domestic abuse, stalking and revenge porn. Charities and organisations such as Refuge, Respect and Women’s Aid all aim to support victims, many of whom are unfortunately faced with the predicament of either being made homeless or returning to their abusers due to the national shortage of refuge places.

Greater support for victims of violence against women

The recently elected Labour government has highlighted one of its top ten policies as provision of greater support for victims of violence against women. The main focus appears to be on greater specialist support for victims. There will now be a requirement for a rape unit in every police force, specialists in every 999 control room and fast track courts and specialist legal advice for rape victims. 

The festive season is now upon us, during which the number of violent crimes often increase, and the effectiveness of this new policy will remain to be seen over the coming years.  However, we're looking at it with hope and optimism that the levels of violence against women and girls will decrease.  

What is the CICA and how can it help?

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) aims to recognise and financially compensate victims within England, Scotland, and Wales. Unfortunately, the CICA scheme is a poorly recognised scheme. This is a compensation scheme set up by the UK government to compensate victims of such violent assaults. Irwin Mitchell’s national team based in Leeds provide victims with specialist legal advice and support them throughout the duration of the claim to ensure the right level of compensation is awarded by the CICA.

The CICA offer compensatory awards for sexual abuse, physical abuse and psychological injuries such as PTSD, depression and anxiety caused by abuse suffered as well as potential awards for loss of earnings and care for those who have required it. Although the scheme aims to do good for victims, there are potential pitfalls for victims who claim directly without legal advice. 

For example, the CICA have specific requirements regarding what constitutes a ‘crime of violence’, under what circumstances an award for mental injuries can be made and when deciding to award for either sexual abuse or psychological injuries as both elements cannot be claimed. It's always sensible to consider specialist legal input to ensure that victims’ rights are properly protected.

Find out more at the dedicated section on our website