Legal advice

Pursuing legal action

You may find some of the following legal resources and information helpful when considering legal action against the person who abused you.

Restorative Justice may be used for child sexual abuse cases. It represents an alternative to the traditional criminal justice route and can prevent the inevitable re-traumatisation that comes from giving statements and cross-examination in court. Find out more about Restorative Justice for survivors of child sexual abuse

There are child abuse inquiries which are hearing from survivors in England and Wales (IICSA) and Scotland. In Northern Ireland and Jersey the inquiries have been completed. Find out more

• Guide on reporting non-recent child sexual abuse to the police in the UK This useful new guide is for people who have not yet have contacted the police to report child sexual abuse. You may or may not be ready to take this step now, but if you are thinking about it, this guide will help you to make an informed decision.

• Operation Hydrant’s Victim Reporting Factsheet Brief details about the process of reporting non-recent child abuse to the police.

• If you contacted the police prior to 5 June 2013 to report child sexual abuse and you were advised either through a police or CPS decision that there would be no further action, you can appeal this decision. This leaflet to explains how to appeal Child Sexual Abuse Review Panel Leaflet. If you reported to the police after 5 June 2013, you can appeal via the Victims’ Right to Review scheme.

• The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICA) is a government-funded scheme designed to compensate victims of violent crime in Great Britain. To be eligible it requires all incidents to be reported to the police.

• If you were abused in Northern Ireland, the government-funded scheme designed to compensate victims of violent crime is Northern Ireland Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.A compensation scheme for survivors of child abuse in children’s homes across Northern Ireland could result in £97 million being awarded in redress to survivors. The proposals which follow the Hart inquiry are uncertain due to the ongoing Stormont impasse. See the NI Executive website for details of the scheme as they become available.

• The Scottish government has recently amended its legislation around time limits relating to childhood abuse.  There is no longer a time bar on childhood abuse claims for compensation in the civil courts.  If you were abused as a child in Scotland and are thinking about making a claim for compensation, please read this helpful advice.

• ‘From Report to Court’.  A handbook for adult survivors of sexual violence to help them negotiate the legal process.

• Rights of Women. Free confidential legal advice by specialist women solicitors and barristers.

• Citizens Advice. Free advice about legal and civil rights and how citizens should be treated by the police.

Legal advice

NAPAC’s telephone support lines provides a listening service to our callers.  Some callers just want to talk about their experiences and feelings.  Other callers want more specific advice about reporting to the police or seeking legal advice.

Although NAPAC itself cannot provide legal advice, we are familiar with specialist law firms who work in the area of non-recent childhood abuse and can signpost to you to these below.

If you are looking for legal advice for your particular case, then you may wish to consider getting in touch with some of the following law firms.

Please be aware that in signposting we are not ‘recommending’ a particular law firm.  We suggest that anyone wishing to seek advice from a lawyer should consult more than one firm before coming to a decision.

NAPAC cannot provide your individual information or case directly to a law firm in regard to a potential claim.  Anyone seeking legal advice must contact the law firm directly.

You may also find a local solicitor via The Law Society www.lawsociety.org.uk