Any kind of unwanted sexual behaviour that makes a person scared, uncomfortable and threatened is known as sexual abuse. It includes rape, child sexual abuse and indecent assault leading to a traumatic experience. Victims of sexual abuse have a devastating impact both physically and mentally. This trauma has a long-term effect on their personal and professional lives and continues for many years.
It is a serious crime where the victim never has any fault. In addition, most of the sexual abuse cases go unreported and no matter how big the amount is, monetary compensation cannot make up for the trauma that the victim suffers. However, the victim has some consolation that the offender, which may be an individual or an institution, has been charged. According to Personal Safety Survey in Australia in the year 2005, figures indicate that more than 8 out of 10 women who have experienced sexual abuse by a male perpetrator did not report the incident to the police.
Things to do if you are sexually abused by someone
If you do not wish to take legal action
Sexual abuse victims have emotional feelings of loss of dignity, low self-esteem, fear, shock depression etc. You may be one of those who do not wish to take any legal action following sexual abuse. In that case, you should go for medical assessment to address any health concerns in relation to the physical attack, get medical care and counselling for psychological support. Some of the issues that may arise following sexual abuse are pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease and bodily injuries.
If you decide to take legal action
If you are one of those who would like to take legal action against the person responsible and claim compensation for the damage, you can file a personal injury lawsuit. Common acts for which you can sue the offender are rape, sexual abuse of a child, groping, indecent exposure, or any other non-consensual sexual act.
Sexual abuse victims may be entitled to punitive damages and compensation damage as well. You can make a claim for compensation to realize the following:
Medical bills
Lost wages
Psychological counselling
Scarring
Lost earning capacity
You need to submit a compensation claim under the guidance of personal injury lawyers Perth to get it done correctly. The lawyers assist you through the legal procedure and represent you in the court if required. You need to do the following after a sexual assault.
Get medical attention and make sure that you are safe
Talk to someone about the incident you trust. It may be a family member a friend or a counsellor.
You need to report about the crime to the police
Get a forensic examination done to support the investigation process and to get medical care, within a week. However, it is ideally done within 72 hours after the physical abuse. It is a lengthy examination which involves the collection of samples of hair and blood and swabs for saliva and semen.
Collect evidence if there is any soon after the incident or within one week
Seek legal advice from Sexual Abuse Lawyers Perth as they would assist you to understand the eligibility criteria and the application process who specializes in compensation claims related to sexual assault.
Compensation available for sexual abuse victims
Recognition payment scheme
The scheme offers financial assistance to those who acknowledge being sexually abused.
The victim is entitled to $ 10,000 where the assault involves serious bodily harm, use of a weapon and more than one offender.
Those who are subject to sexual assault get $5,000
For indecent assaults and/attempted sexual assaults that involve violence receive $ 1,500.
Institutional abuse compensation
Those who become a victim of sexual abuse in an institutional setting such as a school, church, and government agency are entitled to higher compensations. However, the compensation varies from state to states and personal injury lawyers Perth are the ones to provide the right information. Under the National Redress Scheme (NRS) with labour, the government has committed $33 million. The Royal Commission has taken an initiative to compensate child abuse victims under institutional settings costing over $4 billion. According to the Commission, each child abuse victim should receive between $10,000 and $200,000 depending on the severity of the crime. In addition, the victims can directly file a lawsuit against the institution claiming compensation.
How sexual abuse lawyers can help?
The lawyers have years of experience in handling sexual abuse cases that range from offensive assault to more serious offences like sexual penetration without consent. Since these are delicate issues, best personal injury lawyers Perth handle them with extreme care and discretion. Depending on the severity of the charge, they sort out some of the minor changes in the Magistrate’s court. The more serious sexual abuse cases like sexual abuse against children are looked after by child sexual abuse lawyers under the direction of the District Court. The lawyers make sure that the victims get the best assistance regarding their compensation claims.
The need to seek assistance from a lawyer
Most of the time, it is difficult to successfully prosecute the offenders for sexual abuse and about 85% of such incidents hardly comes to the attention of the law. As per law, if you are the victim of sexual abuse you are eligible for a compensation claim. Depending on the severity of the crime, the law related to sexual abuse is quite complicated. This is the reason you should seek legal advice from the best sexual abuse lawyer as they explain the procedure in a manner which is easy to understand. The sexual abuse lawyers offer consultation under strict confidentiality.
You should seek help from reputed sexual abuse lawyers as they treat the victims with compassion, dignity and respect and have sufficient knowledge about compensation claims related to sexual abuse. Do not just keep it to yourself. Associate with the best lawyers, talk to them and get justice.