Making a school abuse compensation claim
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Children should be safe at school, but unfortunately, this is not always the case, something that school abuse compensation lawyer Elizabeth Duncan knows all too well.
It has recently been reported that a retired teacher, Piers Le Cheminant, has been convicted of sexual offences he committed against boys at schools in Wiltshire and Sussex between the late 1960s and early 1980s. Although complaints had been made many years ago, and Le Cheminant was even asked to leave his position at both schools (Oakwood School, Chichester and Salisbury Cathedral School) his conduct was not referred to the police and he therefore did not face justice until the police were finally able to investigate in 2018. He was sentenced in June 2023.
His abuse had a terrible impact on the lives of his victims, who should have been safe at their places of education. A civil claim for compensation can help fund private treatment and time off work and therefore hopefully help people rebuild the lives they should have had if they had not been targeted by this person.
We deal with many civil compensation claims arising from abuse perpetrated at school, including acting for a number of survivors of the abuse of Nigel Leat at a North Somerset primary school.
Elizabeth Duncan recently settled a claim for a client who was abused at her primary school in Nottinghamshire by her class teacher. We will refer to her as Miss Y.
Miss Y was just 9 years old when she was subjected to abuse in the form of touching, kissing and groping. She reported the abuse to her mother, who contacted the school only to be fobbed off following their internal investigation. Miss Y was moved to a different class and thought there was nothing more she could do, having been called a liar by the other staff members.
However, some years later she was contacted by the police as another woman who had been similarly abused had come forward to the police who found Miss Y’s name in the school’s records because of the report that had been made at the time.
Following a trial at the Crown Court, this teacher finally faced justice and was sentenced to prison.
Miss Y then reached out to us in relation to making a school abuse compensation claim in the civil courts.
Elizabeth dealt with her compensation claim on a No Win – No Fee basis. A letter of claim was sent to the council that had employed this teacher. An early admission of liability soon followed, along with an early offer of settlement. We arranged for Miss Y to meet with a specialist barrister to discuss and consider the council’s offer, which she decided to accept.
How we can help with your school abuse claim
We are ranked the top legal firm in the UK for sex abuse compensation claims by the independent legal review website, ReviewSolicitors, ahead of more than 900 competitor firms*.
We are proud of our reputation for handling sensitive cases with compassion and professionalism, advocating for those who have been wronged and ensuring their voices are heard in a challenging legal landscape.
Contact us for a free consultation. We will review your case and consider your funding options, including No Win, No Fee.