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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1983
MORE VICTIMS SEEK COMPENSATION FOR INJURIES
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STATISTICS FOR 1982/83 SHOW A 30 PER CENT INCREASE IN APPLICATIONS FOR COMPENSATION FOR CRIMINAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INJURIES.
ACCORDING TO THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CRIMINAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INJURIES COMPENSATION (CLEIC) BOARDS, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS IN THE YEAR WAS 1 300 - COMPARED WITH 997 IN 1981/82.
THERE HAS ALSO BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE RECEIVING CRIMINAL INJURIES WHO APPLY FOR COMPENSATION. OF THE 7 210 PEOPLE WHO WERE THE VICTIMS OF SUCH INJURIES LAST YEAR, THE 1 300 WHO APPLIED FOR COMPENSATION REPRESENT A PROPORTION OF 18.03 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL - COMPARED WITH 16.6 PER CENT LAST YEAR.
AS IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, ROBBERY, THEFT, BURGLARY AND ASSAULT/WOUNDING CASES ACCOUNTED FOR OVER 90 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FOR COMPENSATION,
TWENTY-FOUR VICTIMS OF RAPE AND INDECENT ASSAULT CAME FORWARD TO CLAIM THEIR ENTITLEMENTS, AGAINST 12 IN THE PRECEDING YEAR.
OF THE 1 300 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR, 560 WERE DIRECTLY SUBMITTED BY THE VICTIMS OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS WHILE 688 WERE REFERRED BY THE POLICE.
THE REST WERE REFERRED BY HOSPITALS, DISTRICT OFFICES OF THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION AND OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS.
+THE SHARP INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DIRECT APPLICATIONS WAS PROBABLY THE RESULT OF GROWING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE CLEIC SCHEME AND CONTINUED EFFORTS MADE BY THE BOARD'S STAFF TO LOCATE INNOCENT VICTIMS THROUGH POLICE AND OTHER SOURCES,+ THE REPORT SAYS.
THE BOARDS HAVE DISCRETIONARY POWER TO INCREASE AN AWARD BY UP TO 100 PER CENT.
IN EXERCISING THIS DISCRETION, THE BOARDS INCREASED 20 AWARDS IN VIEW OF THE VICTIMS EFFORTS TO FIGHT CRIME.
THE YEAR SAW THE HIGHEST SINGLE AWARD OF $42 150 GO TO THE WIDOW AND DAUGHTER OF A FOODSTALL OWNER WHO WAS KILLED IN A ROBBERY. THE BOARD INCREASED THE AWARD BY 50 PER CENT ON ACCOUNT OF THE VICTIM'S EFFORTS TO RESIST THE ROBBERS.
DURING THE YEAR, PAYMENTS AMOUNTING TO MORE THAN $2.6 MILLION WERE MADE IN 536 CRIMINAL INJURY APPLICATIONS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT INJURY APPLICATION AND 156 REVIEW CASES,
THE REPORT