NEWS & UPDATES
Welcome to the Abuse Lawyers media room. Our attorneys provide legal commentary, speak at public engagements and events and contribute advice to critical judicial issues.
‘Same roof’ rule in criminal compensation scheme ended
The ‘same roof rule’- which was changed in 1979 but not retrospectively- will be abolished after Justice secretary David Gauke said it unfairly meant victims of historic offences could be denied the compensation their cases merited. The rule applies to both children and adults and states that applicants are not entitled to compensation if they were living with their assailant as members of the same family at the time the abuse took place.
Even if the abuse took place in the past, you could still claim compensation
Members of our child abuse claims team were behind a landmark case that led to the House of Lords ruling which removed time limits to bring claims for child abuse. We know it can take many years for victims to be able to talk about the childhood abuse they have suffered. No matter how long ago the abuse took place, it may still be possible to make a claim.
Myths About Male Sexual Abuse
Before the revelations of institutional abuse in more recent years, abuse was often only ever associated with the female gender. However, it has been found that 1 in 6 men have been targets of rape or sexual abuse.
Child abuse solicitor and president of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers, Peter Garsden, lists some of the common misconceptions about male sexual abuse: 1) Boys Can’t Be Victims Of Abuse, 2) Boys Who Are Abused Must Have Participated To Some Extent 3) The Law Treats Male Abuse Differently
What Is Child Sexual Abuse?
To understand the long-term psychological effects of abuse, it is important to determine exactly what child sexual abuse is. Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is when a child or young person is pressurised or tricked into taking part in anything sexual by an adult or another child.
Child sexual abuse includes:
Inappropriate kissing
Touching a child inappropriately
Encouraging a child to touch a child or adult inappropriately
Sexual intercourse (including oral sex)
Encouraging children to watch porn
Sexual talk
Exposing genitals to children
Whether direct contact is made or not makes no difference. Activity of a sexual nature with a child that doesn’t involve contact is still classed as child sexual abuse and can still have similar psychological outcomes for the child involved.