Babur Raja, 41, was jailed for 18 years after he tried to murder his partner and their unborn daughter in Sutton Coldfield town centre

A pregnant mother who was stabbed 24 times by her partner in a frenzied attack has been told she will not be able to claim compensation for her child.

Babur Raja, 41, was jailed for 18 years after he tried to murder his partner, who was 36 weeks pregnant with his unborn daughter, in Sutton Coldfield town centre, Birmingham, in March.

During his trial at Birmingham Crown Court businessman Raja said he had been forced to choose between his Muslim mother's faith and the 'love of his life'.

The court heard that the unborn baby came within 2mm of death and that his partner was only saved by her breast implants and the actions of brave passers-by.

Sentencing Raja, Judge Simon Drew QC said it was 'highly likely' the couple's child 'will suffer long-term psychological problems growing up knowing what you, the father, tried to do'.

Despite the trauma of the attack, the mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been told that she cannot claim compensation for her daughter by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

CICA refuse to make any payment because she was still in the womb at the time of the brutal attack.

Legal precedent, set in an unrelated Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority appeal, states that an unborn child is not a person in law within the meaning of an 1861 law.

The unborn baby came within 2mm of death and that his partner was only saved by her breast implants and the actions of brave passers-by (pictured, the scene of the attack)

The CICA website says it deals with compensation claims from people who have been physically or mentally injured because they were the blameless victims of a violent crime.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice, on behalf of CICA, said: 'This is a tragic case and we deeply sympathise with the victim for the ordeal she and her family suffered.

'The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme provides money to those seriously injured as a result of being a direct victim of violent crime. Payments can only be made to those who meet specific criteria.'

Friends of the mother have called the ruling 'crazy' and said she is going to appeal (pictured, the scene of the attack)

Friends of the mother have called the ruling 'crazy'.

Jacqui Miller said: 'She is known to many as 'the pregnant woman who got stabbed in Sutton one Friday afternoon.

'She is known to some of us as a very strong, beautiful courageous, amazing woman and mother.

'She has just been told that her beautiful daughter, who was nearly killed in the attack, is not eligible for Criminal Injuries Compensation, as she was in the womb at the time. What crazy rule is that? Anyway, she is going to fight.'

It is believed that a final ruling on the mother's own compensation case has yet to be made by the CICA.