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 on 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.
