Former BBC DJ, Tim Westwood, charged with rape and sexual assault

The former BBC DJ, Tim Westwood, appeared at Westminster Magistrates court on 10 November charged with 15 offences, including rape and sexual assault; the charges relate to 7 women. The alleged offences go back to 1983 with the most recent being 2016 and include 4 counts of rape. He is due back in court on 8 December for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, from the Metropolitan Police Service, said:

“It takes courage to come forward and report allegations of this nature. The women who have done so have put their trust in us and we continue to provide them with all available support.”

The press release from the Metropolitan Police is published here Tim Westwood charged by the Metropolitan Police Service | Metropolitan Police

The full press release from the MET Police encourages victims and survivors of abuse to come forward. We do not know whether these 7 women know each other or not, but the more people who come forward the more information the police have. This applies to any case of sexual assault or abuse.
Whether a report is made of recent, or historic sexual assault or abuse the police must take it seriously. Not all cases make it to court, but they will be on police record and cases can be re-opened if new evidence, such as a report from another person comes to light.

There is a government funded compensation scheme in place for victims of violent crime, which is not well publicised. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme allows victims and survivors of sexual assault and abuse to apply for compensation. As this is an application made to a government fund the terms are set by the government.

Compensation awards can be made for a wide range of sexual offences from a single incident to a prolonged period of abuse whether the person affected was a child at the time, or an adult.
The process of making a claim through the compensation scheme can be long winded and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority do not routinely provide updates on claims making the process stressful and frustrating.

Survivors of sexual assault and abuse can benefit from support in making claims. Winston Solicitors have a team of specialists who can deal with Criminal Injury Compensation Claims for you. Please contact us on 0113 320 5000 or email cica@winstonsolicitors.co.uk for more information.