Call for Urgent Reform of Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme

The Marie Collins Foundation has today (1 September 2025) sent an open letter to the Ministry of Justice, co-signed by a coalition of leading child protection organisations, calling for urgent reform of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS). The letter urges the Government to support an amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill, tabled by Sarah Champion MP, which would ensure that all victims of child sexual abuse, including those harmed through technology-assisted means, are recognised and supported.

The amendment seeks to:
• Widen eligibility for compensation to all victims of child sexual abuse, including online-facilitated abuse;
• End automatic exclusions for victims with unspent convictions linked to their abuse;
• Extend the time limit for applications to seven years from the date of police reporting or from the victim’s 18th birthday.

Despite a 2023 Court of Appeal ruling (RN v CICA) confirming that online grooming and coercion can constitute a “crime of violence,” the CICS has not been updated to reflect this interpretation consistently. As a result, many survivors of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA) remain ineligible for compensation, creating what campaigners describe as a “two-tier system of justice.”

Rhiannon-Faye McDonald, Head of Advocacy at the Marie Collins Foundation, said:
“Children who are groomed, coerced, and abused online suffer trauma that is just as real and devastating as physical abuse. Yet the current system treats them as less deserving of justice. This amendment is a vital step toward recognising the full spectrum of harm and ensuring that no survivor is left behind.”

The open letter is supported by a broad coalition of stakeholders, including survivors, legal experts, and frontline organisations. It highlights the urgent need to modernise the CICS in line with the realities of abuse in the digital age and the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

Sarah Champion MP, said:
“Victims of crime were dealt a bitter blow when the Government dropped IICSA Recommendation 18.

Victims and survivors deserve redress which is why I am campaigning for the reform of CICA. Survivors need adequate time to apply for compensation and criminal history shouldn’t be counted against them, especially when it is linked to their abuse. All forms of child sexual abuse should qualify; it is disturbing that we currently have a hierarchy of harm - as online child abuse is still abuse and is equally damaging.

Children who have been sexually abused should not have to face unjust barriers when trying to access compensation - they've been through enough and the state should give them support, not put up further barriers to justice.”

Case Study: Charlotte
At 12-years old Charlotte was groomed and sexually abused online. Over the 9-month period, the perpetrator made repeated threats to come to her home and attack her and her parents if she spoke out about the abuse. It only came to light after the abuse was discovered that the perpetrator lived overseas, but for Charlotte the violent threats caused extreme debilitating fear.

Horrifically, Charlotte’s experience of harm did not end with a single perpetrator, the images of her sexual abuse were widely distributed around her school after another pupil hacked into her social media account. This left Charlotte with suffering from the additional layers of shame, fear and trauma.

Charlotte’s life has been significantly impacted by this abuse, yet she was wrongfully denied compensation on the basis that neither situation was considered a “crime of violence”. The Marie Collins Foundation supported Charlotte and her family to successfully appeal this decision, but the additional trauma caused by this process was completely unnecessary and avoidable.

The compensation provided was a key step on her recovery journey by being officially acknowledged as a victim, and will now help her to attend university and continue her studies. Her goal is to be a psychologist and work with children who have been abused.

Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse is a Violent Crime
Survivors of technology-assisted child sexual abuse (TACSA) endure trauma that is often as severe as, or even more profound than, that caused by physical contact abuse. The psychological and emotional toll of TACSA is devastating and long-lasting:
• Severe psychological harm: Victims frequently experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts - hallmarks of violent trauma.
• Enduring re-traumatisation: The digital permanence of abuse imagery means survivors are repeatedly re-victimised each time their images are viewed or shared online.
• Profound identity disruption: Many victims report intense shame, self-blame, and a deep erosion of trust in themselves and others.

This pattern of harm is not incidental - it is the direct result of coercion, manipulation, and exploitation. These are violent acts, and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme must recognise them as such.

The Marie Collins Foundation and its partners are calling on Parliament to act now to ensure that all victims of child sexual abuse are treated with equal dignity, support, and justice, regardless of how the abuse was perpetrated.

Notes to Editors:

For media enquiries, please contact:
Megan Hinton|mhinton@mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk|07393033596

The Marie Collins Foundation:
We are a UK-based charity dedicated to supporting children who have been harmed online through technology-assisted child sexual abuse (TACSA). We work directly with children, young people, and their families, providing trauma-informed support to help them recover and rebuild their lives. We also train professionals nationally and internationally, and promote best practice in safeguarding and recovery. Our vision is that every child harmed by TACSA is guided and helped throughout their recovery journey and suffers no further harm.

Anybody seeking advice or support should contact help@mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk

Open letter