Rajkiran Barhey, instructed by Robert Shaw of RobsonShaw, acted for a young woman (MR) who had been the victim of rape in 2016.
MR had a complex mental health history but, at the time of the offence, she was running a small business in her local area. However, following the offence, the symptoms of her Borderline Personality Disorder became more severe and she developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She became completely unable to work and virtually housebound. She applied to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) who initially only offered her £3,300.
Rajkiran acted in her appeal, arguing that MR had suffered a severe and permanent disabling mental illness which left her permanently unable to work. Following a lengthy appeal process, the First-tier Tribunal ultimately made an award of £27,000 for MR’s injury with a further £144,300 for her lifetime loss of earnings, totalling £171,300, a significant sum in the context of the criminal injuries compensation scheme.
