By Simon Walters
18th July 2009
Daily Mail
Individual payments to assault and rape victims will be reduced by up to £37,500 as part of a £25million public- spending cuts programme ordered by the Government, it was claimed last night.
Five million motorists could be affected - with magistrates fining up to a million drivers in a year and their convictions becoming 'spent' only after five years.
The Tories have launched an attack on the 'revolting' move.
Shadow Justice Secretary Dominic Grieve said: 'People will be astonished that Ministers are targeting victims of crime simply because they may have committed minor traffic violations - for which they have already paid the penalty - while prisoners released early are being given compensation for the food and accommodation they would have received free.
'The idea that a rape victim or the parents of a murdered child should have their compensation docked for a speeding conviction years earlier is a revolting proposition.
'Labour is cutting compensation for victims of crime by £25million while spending millions of pounds on spin and bureaucracy.
The news is bound to fuel fresh claims that motorists, who have faced huge increases in petrol tax and the widespread use of speed cameras, are being unfairly targeted again by Labour.
The move follows changes to payments by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) which gives money to people physically or mentally harmed through being innocent victims of violent crime.
In the past, such payments could be reduced where 'the applicant's character as shown by his criminal convictions makes it inappropriate that a full award or any award should be made'.
But this did not apply to people involved in minor offences such as speeding or other traffic violations.
But this did not apply to people involved in minor offences such as speeding or other traffic violations.
Deductions are made under a penalty points system which has meant that until now compensation has been paid in full to crime victims who have been fined less than £250 or received a conditional discharge - or been fined more than £250, if that was more than two years previously.
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