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The Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation (CLEIC) Boards paid out $5.9 million to victims suffering from criminal or law enforcement injuries or their dependants for the year 2007-2008, according to the boards' latest annual report.
A spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said today (October 21) the awards were made to 286 new and 202 review cases as burial, death, injury, disability or interim maintenance grants. The highest award of the year was $151,735 paid to the dependants of the victim of a murder case.
The boards received 391 new applications for criminal injuries compensation during the year, compared with 442 in the preceding year.
Of the new applications, 337 were related to assault or wounding; 33 to robbery, theft or burglary; nine to homicide, murder or manslaughter; seven to injuries caused by falling objects; four to rape or sexual assault; and one to fighting in a public place.
Regarding the sources of applications, 219 were referred by the Police, 133 directly submitted by the victims or their families, 38 lodged as a result of the outreaching service of the Secretariat to the boards, one by SWD and the remaining one by the Legal Aid Department, the spokesman said.
Non-contributory and non-means tested, the CLEIC Scheme 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/Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:00
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