Cheap at half the price
In a world where you can get £10,000 cash for ‘deep offense’ if someone asks you to take off your turban so you can put a riot helmet on to protect you from bricks & petrol bombs, or £11,000 cash for hurt feelings when someone calls you a ‘prat who looks like Bin Laden’, or even £400,000 for cutting your fingers to such an extent you can’t work, you’d have thought a really life-threatening assault might attract a pretty substantial compensation award.
15-year-old Jessica Knight was nearly killed in an unprovoked attack in January 2008. During the assault she received over 20 stab wounds. Her injuries included a perforated upper and lower bowel, a collapsed lung and stab wounds to her face, neck and back. She received a stab wound to the eye which has left her with double vision for which she is still undergoing treatment. She received life-saving treatment necessitating several operations, she also suffered a stroke whilst still in a coma after the attack.
A male was subsequently jailed for life for attempted murder.
Jessica has just received notice of her compensation award from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. Her total award is for £18,895.
It makes you proud to be British.
Cogidubnus says:
You’re quite right…
But in a world where a pharmacist found guilty of fiddling £400 can be pursued through the courts for the confiscation of over £200,000 worth of assets, (see the Bystander blog), whilst MPs who fiddle yens of thousands (or cumulatively hundreds of thousands) not only keep their lucrarive jobs but face no charges at all, what do you expect?
The rot starts at the top and needs rooting out from there downwards!
October 8th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Cogidubnus says:
tens not yens…bloody typos!
October 9th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Cogi says:
Tens not yens…and lucrative…bloody typos…sorry!
October 9th, 2009 at 12:01 am
copper bottom says:
shock…
glad I was siting down…
why are we surprised?
victims mean nothing in this system-
I wish I was a visible ethnic minority… I would have such a great job now… with so many ops.. and NOONE would DARE feck with me…
October 9th, 2009 at 6:54 am
Jumblerant says:
And I bet she won’t even get to see much, if any, of that amount either. Poor girl.
October 9th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Sophie says:
But the CICA is different from getting compensation from organisations and courts and things, isn’t it?
Which isn’t to down play your argument or anything, but the CICA has certain guidelines (the absolute max being £500,00, reserved for those taken from us by I dunno… Death rays or something) in regards to how much they can give victims of crime while the courts and etc can shell out as much as they want.
Actually the UK (little bit of trivia for you) gives out the most criminal injury compensation of any country in Europe we were told in our Victim Support training. So there is the goodwill there, although at times you wouldn’t think it! The fact there is a state scheme for victims of crime at all is a step in the right direction.
Again, not to downplay your argument. I certainly don’t have any time for such people who pursue a claim of thousands of pounds over something which is a bit crap. So I suppose I agree actually.
I suppose in a way it’s kind of like footballers salaries, would you say no if you could get your hands on that sort of cash?
It’s a shame a great many of our customers can’t claim compensation from their attackers, because they haven’t got any money!
Keep up the good work 200!
October 9th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
rafanon says:
Yess 200, but were her feelings hurt? I know that’s a horrible thing to say and please take it in the spirit it is intended.
I am SO angry at this “award”. Take a bow girly, you nearly died but hey, you’re white, british and female. Never mind we need the cash for someone who may need it.
October 9th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Tony F says:
Bloody hell.
Some one called me a ‘Tyke’ (which I am) I live in Lincolnshire..Can I sue them??
October 9th, 2009 at 4:08 pm