On Monday of this week BBC 1 aired “Abused: The Untold Story”, a landmark documentary telling the stories of those who broke their silence about being sexually abused – changing our country and society forever. Through frank and candid accounts, the documentary explored the shattering effects of abuse, but the documentary also celebrates the resilience and spirit of the victims.
Following the horrific revelations made by Jimmy Saville back in 2012, it came to the forefront of the media that abuse had gone unnoticed for decades. No less than thousands of victims came forward to disclose what they had been subjected to, this revealed the shocking national scale of abuse that had gone unnoticed nationwide for years. This was limited to not only those who had abused by Jimmy Saville. The victims spoke harrowingly about how being abused has affected their relationships with their loved ones, some couples had been married for decades and the abuse had never been discussed.
Peter Spindler, commander of specialist crime investigations, commented that it quickly became clear that “the scale of this was going to outstrip policing structures”. Operation Yewtree was launched, and Spindler openly called Savile a predatory sex offender on national TV. The floodgates were then opened, giving victims the courage to come forward with a genuine feeling that they would be believed.
The documentary also followed victim K, who was in the process of testifying against her attacker in a case of historic sexual abuse. She found cross-examination so punishing she had to be carried from the car to her front door by her husband. When her abuser was convicted on only half of the counts brought against him, she was understandably extremely distressed and traumatised.
Whilst we realise that making a claim for compensation will never rectify past events or reverse the irreparable damage caused, pursuing a claim can help to ensure our clients finally bring a sense of closure to their ordeals, and provide valuable resources to fund any medical treatment required by them.
If you have been affected by any issues raised in this blog please do not hesitate to contact our specialist team today who deal with all aspects of abuse including Criminal Injuries Compensation Claims and claims against Social Services.