The long-awaited compensation scheme for abuse survivors of the now-defunct Jesus Army church has opened.
The Jesus Fellowship Community Trust (JFCT) has announced survivors could be entitled to a written apology and an award of compensation "for the harm a survivor has suffered" in line with the Common Law compensation awards.
Following a series of abuse allegations in 2019, Jesus Army ceased to exist after more than 40 years in ministry.
The church was accused of sexually, physiologically and spiritually abusing congregants between the 1970s and 1990s.
Several men have been sentenced for indecent and sexual assault of church members.
In a statement on its website, the JFCT said the scheme will offer a "fair redress to those who have suffered harm, abuse and/or adverse experiences within the Jesus Fellowship community."
It is also "specifically designed to give survivors and applicants an effective means for swift and compassionate settlement, without having to go through the courts."
"It ensures the compensation available goes to survivors and applicants, rather than being eroded by legal fees. It also means no survivor or applicant, who claims through the scheme, will have to restate their experience in court."
The deadline for applying to the scheme is 31st December 2023.