Child victims of sexual abuse are being denied compensation because a Government agency rules that they "consented" to their abuse, a group of charities has warned.

Charities including Barnardo's, Victim Support and Rape Crisis say that children as young as 12 are being denied compensation because of evidence that they went along with their abuse.

Children aged under 16 cannot consent to sexual activity under the law, unless they are aged over 13 and the defendant reasonably believed they were over 16.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, which gives out compensation of up to £44,000 to victims of sexual abuse and other crimes, uses a different set of criteria to decide whether victims are eligible for compensation.

In evidence submitted to the Independent Inquiry on Child Sexual Abuse last year, Barnardo's said that CICA had responded to a claim from one of the children it supported by saying that "it considers consent as a question of fact, and this determines eligibility for compensation.

"A victim can consent in fact even though in law they may be deemed not to have consented."

The charities say that as a result children are being made to feel that they are to blame for the abuse.