UK News 12-08-2004 Victims Could Sue Lotto Rapist who: Rapist Iorworth Hoare what: Could be sued by victims after winning £7million Lotto jackpot where: MIDDLESBROUGH when: Saturday night snippet: "The ashamed brother of £7million Lotto rapist Iorworth Hoare urged Camelot bosses last night: `Give the money to his victims`," says The Mirror this morning. "Dilwyn Hoare said: `What he did was unforgivable. He shouldn`t be allowed any of it. He doesn`t deserve a penny`." And The Sun says the convict`s wife feels the same. "I`ll try to give any money I get to deserving causes, like the women he attacked and organisations that look after rape victims," she says. The interviews are published a day after news broke that the 52 year-old serial sex offender, jailed for life at Leeds Crown Court in 1989, won £7,039,469 on Saturday after legitimately purchasing a ticket while staying at a bail hostel in Middlesbrough. Victim support groups have expressed outrage and it has been suggested that they should sue Hoare for compensation. "The biggest difficulty any claimant will face is the limitation periods, and generally speaking in tort you are looking at three years," explains Neil Sugarman, managing partner at Manchester-based GLP solicitors, quoted in The Telegraph. "But someone assaulted before that period may be able to say they didn`t take any action at the time because the offender had no money." And the latest twist to the story is that home secretary David Blunkett has waded in with his pledge that the criminal will not be able to benefit from his winnings while at Her Majesty`s pleasure. "My plans currently before Parliament will mean rich criminals will find their punishment is in tune with their bank balance," he says in a piece written for The Sun. "Indeed, in future all criminals will face a tax on their crimes with the money going to victims." [... more]

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