Barriers to Compensation for Child Victims of Sexual Exploitation

Barriers to Compensation for Child Victims of Sexual Exploitation

Barriers to Compensation for Child Victims of Sexual Exploitation

This report examines some of the reasons why very few children seek and obtain compensation or monetary relief (i.e. money from a State-managed victim compensation fund, or from a perpetrator through a court of law) for injuries and trauma incurred from being sexually exploited. These obstacles include: the lack of information made available to child victims about their rights; the lack of support throughout the compensation-seeking process; conditions imposed by government-managed victim compensation funds; challenges facing victims in the court environment; and difficulties in enforcing court-ordered compensation against an offender. The report also highlights some of the cultural, behavioural and practical issues which influence or affect how legal processes function.