Elizabeth Duncan is representing a woman who was abused as a young child while residing at the Beechwood Community Home in Nottingham.
Beechwood had many purposes over the years, including an assessment centre, approved school, remand home and community home. It was operated by Nottinghamshire County Council.
Our client stayed there when she was 10 years old and was being assessed in relation to possible additional needs. While there she was sexually abused and brutally raped by a care worker. That care worker is now serving a long prison sentences for a number of similar offences he perpetrated while in this position of trust over vulnerable young children who were away from their families.
We are now making a compensation claim on her behalf, working on a No Win, No Fee basis.
Beechwood closed in 2006 and the building has subsequently been demolished.
In 2006 some of the abuse that had been perpetrated at the Beechwood establishment came to light and Nottinghamshire Council together with the police launched a joint investigation.
Then in 2010 Nottinghamshire Council commissioned an investigation which was carried out by the NSPCC.
The scale of the abuse was such that in 2011 Nottinghamshire Constabulary launched Operation Daybreak. This was a largescale investigation into the emotional, sexual and physical harm suffered by children between the 1950s and 2000. Operation Xeres was then launched in 2015 to investigate similar offences in the north of Nottinghamshire. These two operations are now being managed together by the police under the umbrella Operation Equinox.
These operations have led to an investigation by IICSA – the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
Operation Equinox is now being widened to include investigations into abuse in other areas including church and youth groups as well as individuals, such as teachers, scout leaders and politicians.
The leader of Nottinghamshire County Council has made a public apology on behald of the authority for failing to protect children in its care.