Hundreds of women in Northern Ireland who were sexually abused as children will not be able to claim compensation following a ruling in a test case in the Court of Appeal in Belfast yesterday.
Three judges dismissed an appeal brought by a woman who was abused over 10 years by her mother's boyfriend, who was later jailed for eight years.
The woman, now aged 25, was initially refused compensation because when she applied she was eight months over the qualifying age of 21. She then sought a discretionary payment but was also turned down.
Last January, a judge dismissed her application for judicial review and yesterday his decision was affirmed. The woman's solicitor, Mr Pearse MacDermott, said: "This is a disappointing judgment for the large number of victims of sexual abuse who find themselves in similar circumstances.
"Obviously it is a matter of great importance and we will consider the judgment with a view to applying for leave to take the case to the House of Lords." Mr MacDermott added that a further injustice was that the woman's younger sister, who was also abused, had received compensation as her claim was made before she reached the age limit of 21.