Sadly child sexual abuse hit the headlines again last week.

Former USA Gymnastics physician, Larry Nassar, received a substantial custodial sentence for sexual offences against several young victims. This conviction followed his guilty plea in November 2017 of three counts of unlawful sexual conduct against girls for whom he was supposed to be providing medical care whilst they participated in their dream sport of gymnastics.

Incidentally, this offender was already behind bars after being found guilty of possessing child sex abuse images.

To date, 265 of his sufferers have spoken out about being molested and abused by him with one of his victims telling the court that she was 9 years old when he first abused her. As can be commonplace in child sexual abuse cases, her older sister also experienced similar exploitation at the hands of this devious perpetrator who was entrusted to offer medical expertise to these budding sporting professionals.

These type of cases highlight the substantial abuse of position and trust practised by such offenders, the repercussions of which can often be insurmountable for their victims who will often be unable to continue a career in their chosen sport.

At Farleys we advise and represent many clients who have experienced abuse within their chosen sporting arena. From football, swimming, tennis, athletics to gymnastics, we are witnessing increasing numbers of victims who approach us to seek financial redress for the physical and psychological pain that they have endured as a result of the abuse they have been put through.

There are often two types of claims that we may be able to pursue on your behalf-

  • A Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) claim whereby an application for compensation is made to this publicly funded government agency

Or

  • A civil claim made directly against the perpetrator or more frequently, against the organisation with whom they are affiliated with or employed by.

In order for us to assess your potential claim, contact us on our Abuse Line 0330 134 6430 or you can email me at paul.corrigan@farleys.com