FOUR women who suffered horrific

sexual abuse and rape as children are devastated after being refused compensation even though their attacker has been jailed for life.

The decision was made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board because its rules only allow

payments for crimes committed after 1979.

The offences against the women took place earlier.

Now a campaign to win justice for the victims, who come from the Lancing and Worthing areas, has been launched.

They were all victims of former soldier Peter Jones, 44, who was branded a "sexual predator" by a judge and given seven life sentences at Chichester Crown Court in February.

Jones, who lived in the Lancing area, was convicted of shocking sex crimes dating back more than 20 years.

But the offences only came to light in 1997 when his victims started to come forward and tell the police what had happened to them as

children.

One of the four women who has been turned down for compensation said: "We were raped and abused but we have now been told that because it happened before 1979 we are not included in the scheme.

"It took a lot of courage to come forward and we had to relive our ordeal in the witness box, which was horrific.

"Now our appeal has been refused and we have been told we cannot have an oral hearing. It is not a question of money for us

any longer but of

principle."

Some of the victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, are due to see Shoreham and Worthing East MP Tim Loughton later this week.

Their case is also being supported by Graham Hill, co-ordinator for Worthing and Lancing Victim Support, who called it an "injustice".

He said: "Their case is now being included by our national office in a statement sent to the Home Office, which is reviewing the compensation system.

"They went through an atrocious ordeal and are being refused compensation on a technicality."

A spokesman for the Criminal Injuries Board said he could

not comment on individual cases. But he added: "The legislation we work to is very specific and prohibits paying compensation in cases before 1979.

"These are the rules Parliament has laid down and we cannot set them aside for what may appear to be deserving cases. I know it must be very galling for the victims."

Jailing Jones in February, Judge Anthony Thorpe told him: "I am satisfied that you are such a danger, acting as a sexual predator preying on the young and vulnerable, that there is no alternative to sentences of life imprisonment. All right thinking people will be appalled to hear that one man can cause so much misery."

Jones was convicted of 17 sex offences, including five of rape.

His first victim told after the case how she had lived with what happened to her until she was 35.

She went to the police when she discovered Jones was still abusing children.

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