Compensation for Pitcairn victims

Victims of child sex abuse on Pitcairn Island will be able to apply for compensation, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has said.

Eight men have been convicted of a string of sex attacks on the remote Pacific island.

The men had faced dozens of charges including rape and indecent assault on girls as young as 12.

The UK colony lies roughly half way between Peru and New Zealand in the South Pacific.

Foreign Office Minister, Gillian Merron, said the department would ensure the levels of compensation were linked to the amounts awarded in the UK.

"What happened to these women was terrible and no amount of money will take that pain away. But I hope this will give them some recognition of their suffering," she said.

"This is a significant step and it is the right thing to do."