New support for victims of terrorism overseas

Tuesday, 02 February, 2010

Victims of terrorist atrocities abroad will now be able to claim compensation under a new scheme announced last month by Justice Secretary, Jack Straw.

While the UK works with its allies to defeat the scourge of terrorism, tragically innocent victims are sometimes killed and injured in foreign terrorist attacks, and until now UK victims have not been eligible for compensation.
Introduced last month by Home Secretary Alan Johnson as part of the Crime and Security Bill, the new Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme, will provide the innocent victims of foreign terrorist attacks financial compensation as an expression of public sympathy and in recognition that a British citizen has been a blameless victim.

The Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation scheme will apply to designated terrorist acts that occur outside the United Kingdom. Also the new statutory scheme will apply now to any terrorist act that takes place.

However, the government appreciates that there will be victims of overseas terrorist attacks in recent years who continue to face hardship as a result of the on-going consequences of a disability arising from the injuries they sustained. In recognition of this the government will, alongside the introduction of the statutory scheme, provide assistance to eligible victims of overseas terrorist attacks since January 2002 who are in such a position. Details of this time-limited scheme are set to be announced in due course.

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