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HK$9m paid to victims of violence

Victims of violent crime or of injuries caused by law enforcement officers using firearms were paid HK$9.82 million in compensation in the year 2005-06, the Social Welfare Department said yesterday.

Some 413 new claims were paid. The remainder was for earlier cases under review, the Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Boards annual report stated.

The boards come under the Social Welfare Department. It did not say how many, if any, payments had been made to victims of injuries sustained at the hands of law officers.

The largest single payment - HK$118,810 - was paid to the family of a murder victim. Officials did not release details about the case.

Board officials said 436 new claims were made under the scheme in 2005-06, down 127 from the previous year's 563.

Most of the claims - 360 - were made in connection with assault or wounding cases, 46 were related to robberies, thefts or burglaries, 14 to murder or manslaughter, and two to rape or sexual assault.

A non-contributory and non-means-tested scheme, it provides ex gratia payments to victims or their relatives in the case of death.

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