While XL bully attacks dominate court headlines, a quieter crisis has been unfolding for all crime victims: the money they receive when justice is served has been plummeting.

In 2016, the average compensation awarded to crime victims was just £200. That's a brutal 23% drop from the previous year, when victims received £259 each. The £58 difference might not sound like much, but for someone whose phone was stolen or whose car was vandalised, it's the difference between replacing what they lost and going without.

This collapse in compensation happened precisely when crime victims needed support most. £200 barely covers a week's groceries, let alone replacing a stolen laptop or repairing criminal damage to your home. Yet this is what the criminal justice system decided victims deserved in 2016.

The timing is particularly galling. While politicians spoke about getting tough on crime and supporting victims, the actual money flowing to those harmed was shrinking fast. The system that's supposed to make victims whole again was doing the opposite.

What makes this worse is that compensation orders are meant to be realistic. Courts don't award fantasy amounts. They're supposed to reflect what criminals can actually pay, based on their circumstances. So when the average drops this sharply, it suggests either criminals were getting poorer, or courts were getting meaner, or both.

Consider what £200 actually buys a crime victim today. It might cover a replacement phone if yours was a basic model. It won't touch a laptop, a bicycle, or the psychological support many victims need. It certainly won't compensate for the time off work, the sleepless nights, or the feeling of violation that follows many crimes.

The broader pattern is even more troubling. This isn't just one bad year. The compensation system appears to be failing precisely when public attention focuses on high-profile cases like dangerous dog attacks. While those cases rightly grab headlines, thousands of other victims are being short-changed by a system that's supposed to deliver justice.

Every time a court hands down a compensation order, it's making a statement about what we think crime costs its victims. In 2016, that statement was: not very much. £200 is what the state decided was sufficient to make most crime victims whole again.

The irony is stark. Politicians promise tougher sentences and better support for victims. But when it comes to the basic task of ensuring criminals pay for the harm they cause, the system is moving backwards. Victims are getting less money, not more.

This matters beyond the individual cases. When compensation falls this sharply, it sends a signal that property crime, minor assaults, and other 'everyday' offences aren't worth taking seriously. That's a dangerous message in any society.

(Source: Ministry of Justice, Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly -- Outcomes-by-Offence-data-tool-2010-2016 -- 3. Compensation)