A Manchester man has spoke out about the abuse he suffered at a Manchester City Council ran childrens home.  Broome House is one of 3 care homes under investigation into claims of child abuse by Jimmy Savile.  The man who wishes to remain anonymous claims that bosses at the Manchester care home introduced him to Savile when he was just 13 years old.

A leading abuse solicitor from Simpson Millar, Peter Garsden, is leading a group action against Manchester City Council for victims of abuse.  This is the second group action and 452 claimants have joined the group.  So far 275 cases have been settled with payouts totalling £2m.  Recently the High Court has imposed a deadline of 7th May whereby any new claimants will need to come forward.

Speaking about this latest investigation into alleged abuse by Jimmy Savile, Peter Garsden said: “we want the cut off date put back so there can be a proper and thorough investigation into anyboyd who had any contact.  At least one person was abused by him and it is more than possible countless others were as well.”

Watch video – Jimmy Savile abuse at Broome House

If you were the victim of abuse at a Manchester City Council ran care home you can call our confidential help line on 0845 604 7075 or email peter@abneys.co.uk.

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Leading abuse lawyers, representing one of the victims of abuse at Swaylands School in Penshurst in Kent, have praised the bravery of their client whose statement to the police led to the arrest of his abusers.

Three men, 73 old David Hennessy, 70 year old Colwyn Baker and 61 year old Nigel Putman have been charged with more than 50 counts of abuse at the school in Kent over a 26 year period.

The men who are accused of abusing “multiple victims” at Swaylands School between 1967 and 1993 will appear at Maidstone Crown Court when their trial begins in October.

Deborah Corcoran, abuse solicitor at Simpson Millar has praised the bravery of her client and urges any other victims to come forward in confidence. The firm of abuse solicitors who are also members of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers have set up a confidential phone line that victims of abuse can call to discuss their legal rights and receive information about the vast network of survivor groups that exist in the UK.

Call 0845 604 7075 or email Deborah at Deborah@abneys.co.uk

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The BBC has reported on leaked memos revealing the extent of Jimmy Savile’s influence at Broadmoor psychiatric hospital, where he took control in 1988, recommended by a senior civil servant to lead a task force to reform the hospital.

The appointment was approved by Edwina Currie in her capacity as Health Minister when she had brief responsibility for Broadmoor. Although she says there were no complaints about Jimmy Savile at the time, the BBC reports that at least 16 people have now reported abuse by Savile to the police.

The BBC spoke to a woman who was invited to Broadmoor by Savile to sing for patients when she was 14 years old. She says Savile indecently assaulted her at the hospital.

A senior psychiatrist at Broadmoor, Dr Chandra Ghosh understands why more people did not make official complaints. She said “These were people that nobody believed. So if they had in fact turned round and said he had abused them or raped them, nobody would have believed them. This was Mr Savile, you know, Jim’ll Fix It”

Speaking on Radio 5 Live Peter Garsden, President of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers, said: “Broadmoor was an institution like all others and they were hoodwinked by the manipulative power of a paedophile in the company of vulnerable adults, who were more open to being abused in a similar way to the other vulnerable adults and children he targeted during his life. This is yet another example of the need for mandatory reporting to ensure there are proper channels for the reporting of suspicions of abuse to the authorities.”

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Leading child abuse lawyer Peter Garsden of Cheadle Hulme firm, Simpson Millar, is appealing for people who were abused as children from the 1950’s to the 1990’s; in Manchester City Council run homes, to speak out about the abuse they may have suffered.

Mr Garsden is the lead solicitor representing alleged victims of abuse in the largest ever group action for alleged child abuse. An earlier cut-off date of June 2014 in which claims for compensation could be made as part of the group action has expired. However, the firm of child abuse solicitors are set to appeal this date at a two day hearing in September this year when they will appear before the High Court in Manchester. Since the June 2014 cut-off date the firm of child abuse solicitors have been approached by a further 30 claimants who are deemed to be ‘out of time’. On the 24th September Peter Garsden will appear before the High Court judge to request that other victims are allowed to join the group action as late comers. If his appeal is not successful he may look to form a third group action.

Appealing for victims to come forward, Peter Garsden said: “We believe that there are still many victims of abuse at Manchester Children’s Homes from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, who have still not come forward to talk about what happened to them when they were in care, particularly because some of the children’s homes were assessment centres who only looked after Children for as little as 3 weeks at a time. The sooner people come forward the more likely it is that we will be able to proceed with their cases because we may be able to form a 3rd Group. Alternatively we may be able to make a late application to join the Group out of time.”

In 2007 the child abuse specialists, represented 168 claimants in the first group action in which he managed to secure compensation amounting to nearly £2,260,000. The group was originally formed in response to a massive police investigation launched by Greater Manchester Police code named “Operation Cleopatra” from Grey Mare Lane Police Station. Starting in 1997 and concluding around 2002, it investigated 66 children’s homes in Greater Manchester, and prosecuted a number of individuals. Manchester City Council Social Services Department ran most of the homes. Former Broome House warden and assistant director of Manchester social services Ronald Hall was eventually jailed for 11 years, with Deputy Ian Gray given 14 years and ex-social worker Phillip Roe jailed for 12-and-a-half years.

The two Group Action added together mean that the compensation paid out to date amounts to £4,302,510, which is the largest ever pay out in any abuse Group Action. The eventual payout is likely to be over £5 million once all the cases settle.

We can help victims of abuse claim compensation as well as providing information about the vast network of survivor groups that exist in the UK. Speak to one of our specialist male or female solicitors in complete confidence if you have suffered abuse whilst in the care of a Manchester City Council ran children’s home. Contact our confidential help line on 0845 604 7075.

To read the coverage in the Manchester Evening News click here.

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The BBC has reported that three men have been charged with historical sex offences at Thorp Arch Grange Children’s Home in Wetherby.

Arrested as part of Operation Polymer (an inquiry into abuse at children’s homes in Leeds in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s) the men are due to appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 2 October.

The three men have been named as 81 year old Roy Leonard Allen from Burnley, Lancashire, 77 year old Anthony Gordon Poles from Leeds and 59 year old Mark Walker Wyllie from Scotland.

Roy Allen is charged with 17 offences including indecent assault, Anthony Poles has been charged with five offences including indecent assault and Mark Wyllie has been charged with indecent assault.

Thorp Arch Grange Children’s Home is no longer run as a children’s home but is now home to the training ground and Academy base of English football club, Leeds United. Located in the village of Thorp Arch, near to the town of Wetherby, the site covers 12.1 hectares.

At Simpson Millar we are currently representing a victim of abuse who attended Thorp Arch Grange Children’s Home, whose case is currently under further investigation by police.

If you have been the victim of child abuse you can contact our specialist child abuse solicitors in confidence on 0845 604 7075 or email us at abuselaw@abneys.co.uk.

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Danesbury School abuse

The Hertfordshire press have today reported on two of our clients who are suing Hertfordshire County Council for the suffering they underwent as victims of alleged sexual abuse, carried out by a deputy head teacher when they were former pupils of Danesbury School in Bengeo, Hertford.

Police have confirmed allegations were made about Malcolm Hill, former deputy head teacher at the now non-operational school between 2009 and 2012, but the force failed to gather sufficient evidence to make an arrest.

Closure

Speaking to the Hertfordshire press about the Danesbury School abuse, one man, who cannot be named for legal reasons spoke about his experiences of abuse at the hands of Malcolm Hill. Commenting, the man who is now in his 50s was sent to Danesbury when he was 12 because of a court ruling that his mother was not capable of looking of after him, said: “There is no doubt my childhood ended when I went there. It lives with me every single day. It’s messed me up completely. I suffer from serious bouts of depression and post-traumatic stress whenever I have to talk about it again. We used to run away all the time and nobody used to ask us why. Perhaps if I get some sort of closure, I might be able to in the future. I want to get rid of this, I want to be able to enjoy my life, and I want to be a better person.”

Deborah Corcoran, who is handling the case, said: “The clients I represent have suffered immensely over the years as a result of what Malcolm Hill did to them. Allegations about Hill in the 90s appear not to have been properly looked into.”

Information

Anyone who has any information about Malcolm Hill and Danesbury school should contact Deborah Corcoran, solicitor, at Simpson Millar on 0161 482 8822.

To read more in the Hertfordshire press click here.

If you think you may have a claim for abuse compensation and want more information try our free legal help page here. For a copy of our abuse guide click here.

We work with and support a number of survivor groups, if you have experienced abuse and would like to talk to someone in confidence you can find their details on our Links page.

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Child abuse

The High Court in Manchester over a 2 day hearing from 23^rd to 24^th September 2015 refused to allow 70 victims of child abuse, who had come forward after a cut off date imposed on 12^th June 2014, to join the existing Manchester Children’s Home Group Action against Manchester City Council.

Late joiners

The late joiners came forward after the cut-off date, most commonly due the shame and embarrassment surrounding the very incidents of child abuse in care which they allege. The very facts of the case, therefore, support the many years of delay on a psychological level. They were arguing that she should be allowed to join the Group late.

The Group

The Group was formed in order to allow the victims of sexual and physical child abuse in care from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s to make claims for compensation because they had been abused by care workers from various homes whilst they were in the care of the Council. The Group covered any home owned and run by Manchester City Council, but principally consisted of Rosehill in Northenden, Broomehouse in Didsbury, Mobberley in Knutsford, Glendene, Lynwood, Ellerslie, Seymour Road, and several others. The majority of the allegations have surrounded Rosehill where a paedophile ring was patently in operation.

Operation Cleopatra

There have been 2 Groups of former care residents who have come forward following a large scale criminal investigation by Greater Manchester Police under the umbrella of “Operation Cleopatra”. Evidence showed that 23 Police Officers and 6 Social Workers investigated allegations from 350 individuals who made allegations against 536 abusers of whom only 12 were prosecuted.

The First Group opened in 1997 and closed in 2007. The second Group opened in 2010 and continued until 12^th June 2014 when a High Court Judge imposed a cut off date. This Group of 70 Claimants was seeking permission to join the 2^nd Group out of time, because for psychological reasons they said they had been unable to face up to the child abuse, which happened to them, until after the cut off date.

Since 2001, when the Groups started 168 Claimants joined the 1^st Group and settled their cases for £2,260,000 in compensation. The 2^nd Group, however has involved 629 individuals claiming that they were abused in care. Nearly half the Group cases have been settled under an agreement with Council whereby, in return for agreeing to accept 55% of their compensation, the Council will not fight the cases on time delay. In Group 2 so far £2,759,085.00 has been paid out to 377 Claimants. Some of the Claims are insured. In total, therefore, so far 867 individuals have come forward, and £5,019,085 has been paid out.

After agreeing to settle all cases for many years, the Council said at the hearing that they now no longer wanted to abide by their agreement to settle, and would now fight some cases. This potentially discriminates against those coming forward later.

Appeal

The Lead Solicitors are now appealing for any remaining victims to come forward so that they can join the group of the 70 remaining victims who have been refused entry to Group 2 with a view to forming a 3^rd Group Action.

Peter Garsden of the Lead Solicitors, Simpson Millar, who represent most of the Claimants said, “I am very disappointed that the Court has decided not to allow the 70 late joiners into the Group. They are arguably more deserving because it has taken them longer to come forwards, no doubt due to the extra suffering they have endured. We hope that the Court will agree to the formation of a 3^rd Group Action in order to dispose of any future cases.

Rosehill alone used to care for as many as 3000 children per year and was open for over 20 years. The potential number of individuals who have not yet come forward is therefore potentially huge.

If you have been the victim of abuse and want to talk to one of our male or female solicitors in confidence you call our confidential phone line on 0845 604 7075 or fill in the enquiry form on the right of this page.

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A former youth leader working for Southwark Social Services in the 80s has been found guilty of three counts of child abuse. John Adler was programme leader of a bike scrambling workshop on the Aylesbury estate, Walworth, south east London during the 80s. Adler, 74, who was living in Peckham at the time of his arrest, was reported to the police in September 2012 after one of his victims made a complaint. He has yet to be sentenced.

Southwark social services arranged for children in their care to attend the workshops run by Adler as part of their rehabilitation.

Adler, who already had convictions for abusing children in the 60s when he began working for Southwark, faces a second trial for more offences in April next year.

Abuse lawyer, Deborah Corcoran, representing one of Adler’s victims in action against Southwark needs to speak to anyone who knew Adler.

“My client was subjected to extensive abuse over a 3 year period. The abuse began when he was 10 years old. I am asking anyone who knew Adler to contact me on 0161 482 8822.”

If you have been affected in any way by abuse and you would like advice on any aspect, contact one of our specialist male or female solicitors in confidence by calling 0845 604 7075 or by emailing us at abuselaw@abneys.co.uk.

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Monks Park School

Christopher Flavin, 63, an ex-teacher at Bristol’s Monks Park School has pleaded guilty to sexual offences against a child and jailed for more than four and a half years. Sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday 24^th November he was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assaults on a boy under 16.

Child abuse

Flavin who taught art at the school for 23 years until 2003 was charged with the offences before he fled to Spain. He was located and arrested in Spain in May this year after police had to obtain a European Arrest Warrant to extradite him back to the UK.

Detective Stephen Shallcross said: “Not only has Flavin committed these horrific crimes against a child, he then failed to return to the UK in order to evade punishment for them. Flavin abused his position of trust as a teacher for his own sexual gratification. The victim suffered greatly at the time and has since continued to suffer the after effects of such crimes. This case highlights our resolve in locating these types of offenders and bringing them to justice.”

This is not the first time Flavin has been jailed for sexual offences against children. He was jailed in 2007 for similar crimes.

Appeal

Deborah Corcoran, abuse solicitor at Simpson Millar who is acting for Flavin’s victim has praised the bravery of her client and urges any other victims to come forward in confidence. She said: “My client was abused for a period of four years between the years of 1984 and 1988 when he was just 10 years old. I am asking for any further victims or witnesses to come forward with information they might have in connection with Christopher Flavin.

If you have been affected in any way by abuse and you would like legal advice on any aspect, then you can contact one of our female or male specialist solicitors in confidence by calling 0845 604 7075 or by emailing us at abuselaw@abneys.co.uk  Read more on this story in the Bristol Post by clicking here.

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Following earlier coverage in the M.E.N concerning the alleged child abuse at a Manchester Catholic primary school in Ancoats in the 1960’s, solicitor Peter Garsden of Simpson Millar is appealing for further people who attended the school, or more importantly worked at the school with the alleged abuser to come forward.

John Mulligan, was headmaster at St. Anne’s Junior School between 1965 and 1985, when he retired. In 2006, he was charged with 12 counts of sexually assaulting two boy pupils in the 1970s but the allegations were left to lie on file because he was deemed unfit to stand trial. He passed away in 2010.

The abuse took place at several locations on, and off the premises. Commonly, Mulligan took the children for football, and swimming. The abuse happened in the shower room, under the pretence of checking whether the boys had dried themselves properly. Other venues consisted of the headmaster’s study at the school; the sick room and at his home. Acts include indecent sexual touching, being invited to sit on his knee and beating/caning of the victim’s backside.

A victim reported the molesting happened regularly, stating they were abused at least two to three times a week and sometimes daily. The protracted and serious sexual abuse has left the victim severely scarred, suffering from chronic reactive depression, agoraphobia, social phobia, mental distress and highly dependent on alcohol, as he needs to drink excessively to settle the morning shakes.

The previous MEN articles led to 44 witnesses coming forward, of which, 18 individuals are in the process of making a claim against the City Council for the alleged abuse. Peter Garsden who is representing the victims of the alleged abuse made an application to the courts for a Group Litigation Order which would allow all cases to be managed together. On 22^nd October 2015 a Judge at Manchester County Court agreed that the Court ought to case manage claimants together.

In his appeal for witnesses to come forward Peter Garsden said: “If anyone else knows anything about this case or remembers Mr Mulligan, I am appealing to them to come forward so that we can obtain more useful information. I am sure that there are more people out there who can help. Contact us in confidence on 0161 482 8822 or email peter@abneys.co.uk”

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As brave abuse survivors continue to come forward following the conviction of Robin Carter, Peter Garsden – Child Abuse Solicitor – calls for witnesses to provide information.

In April 2017, Robin Carter of Westmeston, now in his 70s, was convicted of 10 counts of indecent assault against boys aged between 10 and 12 years old. Incidents reported occurred during the 1990s, spanning a ten year period. He was convicted and will spend 9 years in jail for 3 counts of indecent assault. Carter was issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that will restrict his access to children and will remain on the sex offenders register for the remainder of his life.

He worked as a residential child care officer at a boarding school. Ditton Place (which closed in 2002) was part of the larger Brantridge School, specialising in the care and education of children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

Investigations into Carter began when, in 2014, an ex-pupil who attended the school during the 1990s came forward as a witness to his inappropriate behaviour with vulnerable boys attending the school. A further victim has come forward which has prompted a witness appeal from Manchester based child abuse solicitor Peter Garsden.

Peter comments:

“As we act on behalf of one of the victims of abuse by Robin Carter, who is not aware of any of the other individuals who were his victims, we are anxious to contact any witnesses, so as to add weight to our existing case, and provide corroborative support.”

“For obvious reasons, our client wishes to remain anonymous, so we are making this appeal on his behalf. We would like anyone who thinks they can help in any way to please get in touch with us.”

“We are interested in speaking to anyone who was a former pupil at Brantridge Boarding School in Balcombe, Sussex, who had any contact with Mr Carter, any former staff, or indeed anyone who can throw any light on the abuse which took place. Our client was at the school in and around 1994 to 1995.”

“You can speak in confidence to any member of the Abuse Team by phoning 0345 357 9200 or by emailing Peter.Garsden@simpsonmillar.co.uk. Alternatively you can contact us via our specialist website www.abuselaw.co.uk“

Read more on this and Peter Garsden’s appeal in The Argus newspaper.

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