XN000022-1981-11-19 — Page 2

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1981

MORE PEOPLE USING INJURIES AID SCHEME

****

MORE PEOPLE ARE MAKING USE OF THE CRIMINAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INJURIES COMPENSATION SCHEME, WHICH PROVIDES QUICK CASH RELIEF FOR VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME OR THEIR DEPENDANTS.

THIS IS INDICATED IN THE JUST PUBLISHED 1980/81 ANNUAL REPORT ON THE SCHEME, WHICH SHOWS THAT THE YEAR SAW THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS - 901 - SINCE THE SCHEME WAS STARTED IN 1973.

THE FIGURE_REPRESENTS A 26.7 PER CENT INCREASE, THOUGH THE NUMBER OF REPORTED CASES OF CRIMINAL INJURIES REMAINED AT ABOUT THE SAME LEVEL AS THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

*WITH THE RELAXATION OF THE MINIMUM SICK LEAVE REQUIREMENT FROM SEVEN DAYS TO THREE DAYS, THERE IS REASON TO EXPECT MORE APPLICATIONS FOR THE COMING YEAR, + COMMENTED MR ROBERT WEI CHAIRMAN OF THE CRIMINAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INJURIES COMPENSATION BOARDS.

POLICE STATIONS, MR WEI SAID, CONTINUED TO BE THE MAIN POINTS WHERE THE SCHEME WAS MADE KNOWN AND AVAILABLE TO VICTIMS OF CRIMES OF VIOLENCE. REFERRALS BY THE POLICE ACCOUNTED FOR 66 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL APPLICATIONS IN 1980/81.

THE NUMBER OF DIRECT APPLICATIONS ALSO INCREASED, FROM 227 TO 243.

+SOME OF THE DIRECT APPLICATIONS WERE THE RESULT OF THE EFFORTS MADE BY OUR OWN STAFF IN LOCATING THE VICTIMS OR THE IR FAMILIES,+ MR WEI SAID. BY FOLLOWING THE INCIDENTS OF VIOLENT CRIMES FROM NEWSPAPERS AND RADIO, AND THROUGH ANSWER ING TELEPHONE ENQUIRIES, THE STAFF WERE ABLE TO INVITE THE LIKELY

INNOCENT VICTIMS TO LODGE THEIR CLAIMS.+

A TEAM OF THREE INVESTIGATING OFFICERS VISITED VICTIMS OF THE OCEAN TERMINAL BOMB BLAST IN HOSPITAL AND HELPED THEM FILL IN THE IR APPLICATIONS.

PAYMENTS MADE TO NEW AND REVIEW CASES DURING THE YEAR AMOUNTED TO SOME $1.5 MILLION, BRINGING THE ACCUMULATED AMOUNT OF PAYMENTS SINCE THE SCHEME BEGAN OPERATION EIGHT YEARS AGO TO OVER $9.6 MILLION.

DURING THE YEAR, THE LARGEST SINGLE AWARD, AMOUNTING TO $29 650, WENT TO THE WIDOW AND FOUR CHILDREN OF A HAWKER WHO WAS STABBED TO DEATH IN A ROBBERY IN SAU MAU PING.

THE CRIMINAL LAW INJURIES COMPENSATION BOARD RECOMMENDED A 100 PER CENT INCREASE OF THE NORMAL AWARD, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE FACT THAT THE MAN GAVE CHASE TO THE ROBBER BEFORE HE WAS KILLED AND THAT ABOUT TEN KAIFONGS SIGNED A LETTER COMMENDING THE CONDUCT OF THE VICTIM.

/THE MAJOR