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The Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation (CLEIC) Boards paid out $6.5 million to victims suffering from criminal or law enforcement injuries or their dependants for the year 2006-2007, according to the boards' latest annual report.
A spokesman for the Social Welfare Department said today (September 12) these payments were to 292 new and 217 review cases.
The largest single payment of the year was $96,264 paid to the dependants of the victim of a murder case, the spokesman said.
The boards received 442 new applications for criminal injuries compensation during the year, compared with 436 in the preceding year.
Among them, 355 were related to assault or wounding; 58 to robbery, theft or burglary; 18 to homicide, murder or manslaughter; three cases for rape or sexual assault; and one case for arson and injuries caused by falling objects respectively.
Regarding the source of applications, 214 were referred by the Police, 136 directly submitted by the victims or their families, 88 lodged as a result of the outreaching service of the Secretariat to the boards, one was referred by the Social Welfare Department and another one by the Legal Aid Department, the spokesman said.
Non-contributory and non-means tested, the CLEIC is designed to provide ex-gratia payments to people (or their dependents in cases of death) who are injured, disabled or killed as a result of a crime of violence, or by a law enforcement officer (which means any police officer or other public officer on duty) using a weapon in the execution of his duty.
Ends/Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Issued at HKT 14:43
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