CRIME

Compensation scheme launched for child abuse victims

A teenage girl who reported being a victim of grooming in Rotherham. About 1,400 children were sexually abused in the town between 1997 and 2013, a report found
A teenage girl who reported being a victim of grooming in Rotherham. About 1,400 children were sexually abused in the town between 1997 and 2013, a report found
CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/GETTY IMAGES

Thousands of victims of institutional child abuse will be paid compensation of up to £100,000 as part of a national redress scheme.

A consultation will decide which victims will be eligible but it is expected to include all victims who were abused in care homes, places of worship, hospitals and schools.

Rishi Sunak acknowledged that “nothing will make up for how badly they were let down or the abuse that they suffered” but said that he hoped it would ensure victims get the “support they need and redress they deserve”.

The scheme will be modelled on recommendations put forward by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), in October after it heard from nearly 6,000 victims.

Government sources said that the scheme would pay