HOMICIDE COMPENSATION

IF YOU HAVE SUFFERED AN INJURY THAT IS THE RESULT OF A CRIMINAL ACT,  YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION

We can assist you in obtaining initial OBLIGATION- FREE legal advice from a specialist solicitor. Just complete the Contact Form and we will refer you to a solicitor.

This is an independent referral service. The solicitors that we refer to have extensive knowledge and experience in dealing with criminal injuries claims.

They can in some cases offer their services on a "No Win No Fee" basis.

***Currently, our criminal injuries compensation referral service is only available for claimants in Victoria, Australia.

Homicide is the killing of one person by another. (Also known as murder or manslaughter).

In Australia, almost two in five homicides occur between family members, with an average of 129 family homicides each year.

The majority of family homicides occur between intimate partners (60 per cent), and three-quarters of intimate partner homicides involve males killing their female partners.

On average, 25 children are killed each year by a parent, with children under the age of one at the highest risk of victimisation.

During 2004, overall homicide rates were on average 4 people per 100,000 population in Australia.

Homicide is a crime that has a profound and lasting impact on the victim's family and friends. The grief that people experience in relation to death and loss through homicide may be intense due to its sudden and violent nature.

There are a number of common reactions experienced by family members of a homicide victim. These can include:

• Shock and numbness
• Changes in appetite and sleeping patterns
• Intrusive images of the deceased and/or the crime scene
• Confusion and disorientation
• Difficulty making decisions
• Guilt and self-blame
• Sadness and depression
• Despair and anxiety about the future
• Shattered beliefs about our safety, our sense of justice and fairness, and our ability to control our lives.

It is important to seek medical and/or psychological treatment if you feel depressed, anxious, suicidal or if you are having problems accepting and adjusting following the loss of a loved one through homicide.

From a legal perspective, you may be eligible for compensation if you have lost someone through homicide. Compensation laws vary from State to State, and it is important that you seek expert legal advice from a lawyer in your State.

Persons who are generally able to apply for compensation include:

all members of the immediate family of a homicide victim at the time of the homicide.

For example:

• the victim’s spouse;

• the victim’s de facto spouse, or partner;

• a parent, guardian or step-parent of the victim;

• a child or step-child of the victim or other child of whom the victim was the guardian; or

• a brother, sister, step-brother or stepsister of the victim.

Family members are generally entitled to a lump sum amount determined by legislation relevant in each State. Compensation may also be awarded to pay for funeral or other expenses (including counselling)  from the death of a family member where the death was caused in circumstances constituting murder or manslaughter.

In most States, you may be entitled to compensation even if the offender has not been found, or has not been charged yet.

Time limits apply in making claims for compensation. Therefore you should seek legal advice immediately so as to preserve your entitlements.

If you would like obligation-free legal advice regarding making a claim for compensation, please complete the contact form and a solicitor will be in touch with you as soon as possible.