Compensation for man who was abused by a Scout Leader as a young boy
For guidance on claiming compensation for sexual abuse call us in total confidence on FREEPHONE 0333 888 0445 or send an email to [email protected]
We were contacted by J who was abused by a Scout Leader as a boy. His family had been active in the Scouting movement and J was followed into the Cubs and then Scouts by his younger brother.
J enjoyed the friendships and outdoor activities the Scouts provided. However things took an awful turn for him when he came to the attention of a particular Scout Leader who was trusted by J and his whole family.
During outdoor activities such as hikes and den building, the man sexually assaulted J on dozens of occasions. Unbeknown to J, the man was also subjecting other boys including J’s younger brother, to sexual abuse. The abuse only ceased when J’s family moved house out of the area.
A few months after the move the Scout Leader came to the attention of the police, and J and his brother were mentioned by others in the course of the investigation. The police called on J’s family and both boys were questioned about the abuse, along with their parents.
The Scout Leader was ultimately convicted of offences against a number of the boys entrusted to his care by means of his position in the Scout Association.
Decades later, J came to us for advice. He had been unable to shake feelings of guilt and shame arising from the abuse. He felt responsible for not having been able to stop the Scout Leader abusing his younger brother. We agreed to deal with J’s claim on a No Win – No Fee basis.
The usual rule for making a claim for events that happened in childhood is that it must be made by the person’s 21st birthday. Although J was many years outside that time limit, we were confident of being able to persuade a court to extend the time limit given the nature of the offences and the impact on J.
Given the passage of time, we were unable to locate police documents confirming J’s interview, but we were able to find press articles about the abuser, as well as obtaining witness evidence about the police investigation.
We arranged for J to meet a psychiatrist who specialises in helping the adult survivors of childhood abuse and she was able to recommend treatment to help J.
After a period of negotiation, we secured an out of court compensation settlement for J, and we very much hope that having the Scout Association accept responsibility for the actions of their member will help him to finally find some peace from the misplaced guilt he had carried with him for decades.
If you would like to speak to one of our lawyers in confidence about claiming compensation for being abused by a Scout Leader call us on FREEPHONE 0333 888 0445 or send an email to [email protected]