Criminal Injuries Compensation Commission (France, CIVI)
A French court body that compensates, from the victims' guarantee fund, the victims of criminal offenses when the offender is unknown, insolvent or uninsured.
The victim of an assault, rape or violent robbery often obtains a judgment ordering the offender to pay compensation, but rarely the payment: the offender is unknown, on the run or insolvent, and has no liability insurance for intentional acts. The French Code of Criminal Procedure provides public compensation. A commission sits at each judicial court. For the most serious harm, death, total incapacity for work of at least one month, sexual offenses, the victim obtains full compensation, without means testing, under article 706-3. For less serious harm or certain property offenses, compensation is capped and means-tested. The sums are paid by the guarantee fund for victims of terrorism and other offenses, fed by a levy on property insurance contracts, which then seeks recovery from the offender. The commission does not replace personal insurance: an everyday-life accident cover or personal accident policy compensates the victim under the contract, and the fund takes account of sums already received. The scheme illustrates national solidarity funded through insurance, which takes over where individual liability can no longer pay.
Textbook case: a passer-by assaulted by a stranger is left unable to work for three months. With no identified offender, she applies to the commission, which awards her 85,000 euros for all her losses; the guarantee fund pays, and will pursue the offender if ever found.
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