Client K consulted Jonathan Bridge of Farleys Solicitors in 2013. For the last 7 years we have been acting for Client K to try and secure him the damages he deserved following serious abuse during his childhood.
Client K had a particularly difficult time as a child. He never knew his father. His mother had mental health issues and lived on the streets eventually being found dead in a derelict house when he was 17 years of age.
From birth therefore Client K was placed in a children’s home in Darlington. He then moved around various children’s homes run by the Children’s Society.
Client K had a terrible time whilst in Children’s Society homes and suffered physical and sexual abuse throughout his childhood.
Client K contended that whilst staying at the Ingledene home in Altrincham he was abused by a man who was allowed to take him out from the home on day trips. He would be sexually abused by the man whilst out on trips and the abuse continued even when Client K moved to the Poplars Unit in Gloucester. Client K was visited by the same abuser at Ryecroft and was abused there as well as at Ingledene and the Poplars in Gloucester. He was abused when he returned in transit back to Ryecroft after leaving the Ingledene home.
Client K had previously suffered physical abuse between the ages of 4 and 7 whilst at the St Giles Children’s Society home in Wrexham. He was beaten by members of staff and locked in darkened rooms. He then moved to the Ryecroft Children’s Society home in Worsley where again he endured a regime of severe physical abuse including being beaten with a stick and hit with a belt. He was deprived of food as a punishment. Scraps would be thrown on the floor so that the children had to scrabble to grab food. He was made to strip naked and sit in a freezing bath on one occasion having his head held under the water until he nearly drowned.
Client K went on to join the military and serve in Northern Ireland but has always been affected by the psychiatric consequences of his childhood. He was diagnosed with Complex/Chronic PTSD as a result of the prolonged abuse suffered in these children’s homes.
Client K was also told while in care that his mother was dead and that he was an orphan. At the age of 17 he found this was untrue because she had only died recently denying him the chance to see her throughout his childhood.
He cooperated with the Police investigation into these children’s homes and has also provided evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
Client K worked closely with Jonathan Bridge in pursuing his CICA claims which involved a battle lasting 7 years. Compensation was refused initially because the CICA were not satisfied that the Applicant had been the victim of a crime of violence. Farleys submitted a Review Application and the CICA again refused compensation on the same basis.
The matter was therefore escalated to a full Appeal which was dealt with by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service. Further evidence was submitted before it was eventually ordered that the CICA should compensate Client K for what he had suffered.
Even then the matter was far from straightforward and quantum was not agreed. Evidence had to be obtained from a Clinical Psychologist and the CICA were eventually persuaded to make the highest award available for psychiatric injury in this difficult case. Client K therefore received £27,000 in damages together with awards of £5,500 in each of the two other cases giving an overall award of nearly £40,000.
For Client K this had never been about compensation. He simply wanted some acknowledgment of what he had been through.
Commenting on his experience Client K praised Farleys “never give up attitude” in this very complex case. He commented that the team “can be trusted and more importantly do not give up fighting for you till justice is served”.
Jonathan Bridge commented that in the 7 years he had been acting for Client K he had got to know him well. He had been significantly affected by his childhood experiences and it was particularly pleasing in this case to see the maximum award being made for the significant injury that he had suffered.