Exclusive: Peter, 19, who was groomed and abused by 21 men, told by government agency that handles claims he ‘consented’

A man groomed online and sexually abused by a string of older men when he was 13 has been denied compensation because the agency that handles claims says he “consented” to the assaults.

Peter, who is now 19, was abused by 21 men, two of them teachers, who all acted independently. They were found guilty of charges including sexual activity with a child, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and meeting a child after sexual grooming.

A judge who presided over most of the cases made it clear that Peter was not to blame, describing the actions of one perpetrator as vile and depraved.

But the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, the government agency that makes financial awards to victims of violent crime, has refused Peter compensation on the grounds that he “willingly” met the men after registering on websites for over 18s, had not been manipulated and “consented in fact” to the sexual contact. Human rights organisation Liberty is appealing against the ruling.

Peter (not his real name), who needed psychiatric help for five years following the abuse, told the Guardian he was shocked and distressed by CICA’s decision.

“I was a child being manipulated and used. After years of people telling me the men were in the wrong and I was a victim, having a government-linked agency telling me it was all consensual was very, very upsetting,” he said.

“I can’t believe we’re actually having to fight them on this. I felt like they were saying, ‘you did this to yourself, so why should we help you?’”

Peter’s mother, Emily (not her real name), described the ruling as cruel and callous. “Our son was abused by all these vile men, who were sent to jail, and yet he can receive no compensation,” she said. “It just beggars belief.”

Peter met his abusers online after coming out as gay and setting up profiles on a number of dating sites, hoping to find people to talk to who would understood what it was like to be a gay teenager. He was always open about his age.

Many of the men convicted, who were in their 20s, 30s and 40s, were made to sign the sex offender register and banned from working with children.

In its appeal, Liberty says: “The blindness of CICA, a governmental body, to the fact that the appellant was a vulnerable child victim of sexual exploitation is extraordinary.

“It is irreconcilable with the repeated public pronouncements by the government on the vulnerability of children to sexual grooming and abuse … Indeed, the tone of the decision suggests that CICA considers the appellant to be culpable for any harm he has suffered as a result of the sexual liaisons he sought out.

“It reflects an attitude of victim blaming (of a child) that should have no place in the 21st century.”

Liberty’s legal officer Debaleena Dasgupta said: “It’s shocking that a state body is using public funds to argue that a 13-year-old chose to have sex with adults, despite many of his abusers being convicted of grooming and sexual assault offences. Liberty believes CICA is breaching the victim’s human rights and discriminating against him.”

The organisation argues that CICA has failed to take into account the age gap between Peter and his abusers, and his vulnerability as a boy who had just begun to explore his sexual orientation.

“There were times when I couldn’t leave the house,” Peter said of the impact of the abuse. “If a man looked at me in public, I started having a panic attack. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, I went through stages of self-harming.”

Emily described the events as “truly horrendous”, saying: “He went from being totally loving and close to us to barely talking to us. They completely took him over – we became the enemy.

“Everyone had to work so that Peter could realise it wasn’t his fault. And now this one organisation can actually leave him with the message that he is to blame. It’s not fair, because he’s never going to completely repair if this is in his head all the time.

“We have a boy who’s had a dreadful six years and lost a huge part of his childhood, and we shouldn’t still have to be fighting.”

CICA said it does not comment on individual claims. “The criminal injuries compensation scheme awards taxpayer-funded payments to victims injured as a result of violent crime,” a spokesperson said.

“Payments can only be made to those who meet specific criteria, but applicants can apply for a review if they feel their case was not fairly assessed. If the applicant remains unhappy after the review, they can have an appeal heard by an independent tribunal.”