Britain to compensate victims of terror attacks abroad
October 18th, 2009 - 5:30 pm ICT by IANS
London, Oct 18 (IANS) A British victim of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, who faces a life in a wheelchair, is to receive government financial support after a decision to compensate all Britons who are hurt in terrorist attacks abroad.
Will Pike, who fell from the third floor of the Taj hotel when a makeshift escape rope of towels and curtains tore apart, and dozens of other Britons injured in overseas terrorist attacks will be eligible for government help, the Observer newspaper reported Sunday.
The government decision followed a campaign to plug a loophole in Britain’s compensation law that excluded citizens who are injured by terrorists abroad, such as those in Bali, Turkey and the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
They were only eligible for a maximum of 15,000 pounds from a government-backed Red Cross emergency fund, but campaigners argued that the government has a duty to care for the nearly 300 British citizens targeted by terrorists abroad since 9/11 because terror is an “attack on the state”.
The move came after a personal intervention by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and is expected to be announced this month, the Observer said quoting government sources.
The government is also likely scrap a current upper limit of 500,000 pounds on compensation awards for all crime victims.
Related Stories
- British victims of 26/11 Mumbai attacks to get financial aid from UK Govt. - Oct 18, 2009
- British 26/11 victim spurs call for government terror aid - May 10, 2009
- Brit victim of Mumbai terror attack faces three million pound medical bill - Aug 14, 2009
- Government insensitive to 26/1 victims' claims: BJP - Nov 26, 2009
- Brown does a U-turn, vows to support IRA victims suing Libya - Sep 07, 2009
- Terror attacks: India agrees to share partial intelligence information with Pak - Sep 19, 2009
- Pakistani PM lauds Manmohan's 'statesmanship' (Lead) - Jul 30, 2009
- British Mumbai attack victims abandoned by their own government - May 10, 2009
- NSA to visit Kabul to review security situation - Mar 01, 2010
- Indian among three tourists killed in Egypt accident - Feb 26, 2010
- Chinese becoming terror, crime targets - Sep 30, 2009
- Nigerian terror suspect charged (Second Lead) - Dec 27, 2009
- Pakistani PM again lauds Manmohan's 'vision and leadership' - Jul 31, 2009
- Pakistan announces relief for Karachi blasts victims - Feb 05, 2010
- 100th British soldier to die in Afghanistan this year (Lead) - Dec 08, 2009
- World
- bali
- british citizens
- britons
- campaigners
- compensation awards
- compensation law
- crime victims
- curtains
- egyptian resort
- emergency fund
- gordon brown
- government decision
- government sources
- loophole
- personal intervention
- prime minister gordon brown
- sharm el
- taj hotel
- terror attacks
- terrorist attacks
Posted in World, |







