The first payouts of more than 140,000 pounds were made last week to four women who suffered a “sustained period of sexual abuse”.

Another 10,000 are estimated to be eligible under a new interpretation of Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority guidelines, the Observer reported on Sunday.

Official succour

Authorities told the London law firm Lovells, which is acting for a number of the victims, that it would “officially” recognise the pain and trauma experienced by thousands of women and children.
The women, who received 140,000 pounds, were smuggled from eastern Europe by British-based criminals using established international sex trafficking networks.

One girl was illegally brought into the UK five years ago, aged 13. Another was trafficked in 2003 when she was 16. Both were subject to “forced prostitution, multiple rapes and beatings” while being held captive by the same trafficking syndicate until they managed to escape early last year.

Their captors had refused to give the victims any money and warned that they would be killed if they fled.
The highest award of compensation was 62,000 pounds and the lowest 16,500 pounds. The authority, which awards compensation to victims of violent crime, has agreed payments for “false imprisonment and forced prostitution during the time of their imprisonment” though neither exists as an official category for damages.
Sarah Johnson, of Lovells said: “This will serve as a precedent for other cases and we are delighted.”

Increasing numbers

The scale of sex trafficking is of increasing concern to police. Officially, the Home Office believes the number of illegal immigrants being sexually exploited at any one time is about 4,000.

Investigators and support groups, however, calculate numbers in excess of 10,000 and described known cases as the “tip of the iceberg.”