PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
COMPENSATION FOR VICTIMS OF RAPE (3 March 1995)

That this House acknowledges the courage of Merlyn Nuttall, the victim of a brutal rape who suffered horrific injuries and was left for dead by her attacker; notes that she has waived her right to anonymity to campaign for better treatment for rape victims, and that she has recently been awarded ú76,101 in compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board which was able to take into account the particular circumstances of her ordeal and subsequent suffering as the attack occurred before 1st April 1994; further notes that under the tariff scheme introduced under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, a rape victim will be entitled to a maximum of ú7,500 compensation, that a person raped by two or more people would be entitled to a maximum of ú10,000 and a rape victim suffering injuries involving severe permanent disability would be entitled to ú20,000; believes that Merlyn Nuttall's case highlights the absurdity and the injustice of the tariff scheme; and calls for its abolition so that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board is able to assess individual cases on their merits.

Sponsored by:
John Austin (Labour)