London Bombings Victim story in The Guardian

Martine Wright speaks to The Guardian

On Saturday and continuing today - Martine Wright, who lost both her legs in the bombing attack at Aldgate London Underground station, writes about her horrific ordeal and how she is struggling to get compensation.

Read Saturday's account here and

Read Monday's here.

"But Martine and other victims have yet to receive a penny from the government's criminal injuries compensation scheme and face a delay of up to two years before awards are given out.

Payouts are capped at £ 500,000, a level which was set in 1996.

So far she has been paid £ 6,000 by the London Bombings Relief Fund, which has raised £ 8.77m from public donations......"

"We can't sue anyone so we have to rely on the criminal injuries compensation. When I first heard it was capped at £ 500,000 I thought that's a lot. But it isn't. I was on £ 40,000 a year and that's 10 years of my earnings. I am only 32 years old.

"We have the criminal injuries and we have the London Bombings Relief Fund. But I don't understand why this fund isn't paying out substantial grants now.

"It is simple maths. They need to see how many people were injured, look at those injuries and say we've got £ 8m here, lets give it all out."

Sadly Martine does not know how charities work and it is not at all as simple as that. Even more sadly though is why it's taking two years for the government's criminal injury scheme to pay out.

Thanks to Ian for bringing the Guardian's articles to my attention and I'm pleased were were able to do our bit in raising money for the fund through Tuberelief.

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Monday, September 26, 2005 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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