Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of grooming gangs have applied for compensation; and how many have been rejected.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) deeply sympathises with all victims of sexual crimes and recognises the trauma suffered by victims of these abhorrent offences.

CICA cannot provide figures about compensation to victims of grooming gangs. This is because awards of compensation under the statutory Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme are made for the physical and/or mental injuries sustained by the victim rather than the type of offence committed.

Each claim for compensation is considered on its own facts and decided using all the information available from the applicant, the police, and other relevant sources.