Abuse Survivors Blog

I have been a Paralegal Apprentice at Emmott Snell Solicitors since September 2018.

I decided that an apprenticeship was the best option for me as I didn’t want to go to university, but I still wanted to gain another qualification.

The scale of child sexual exploitation (CSE) cases up and down the country is now well documented and deeply shocking.  

We are all familiar with the grooming scandals of largely white vulnerable girls by gangs of mainly Asian men.

Speaking out for the first time takes great courage and it can be difficult to know where to start.  

Here are 5 things which might offer you assistance and encouragement if you are considering taking this step in 2019:

While no amount of money can compensate the trauma of childhood sexual abuse, an award of compensation represents important recognition that offences have been committed and harm has been caused.  

A judge cannot force an apology and cannot turn back the clock, but the courts can make an organisation or person pay financially for sexual abuse.

On Friday 14 December 2018 Emmott Snell Solicitors hosted a mince pie and mulled wine morning by way of a thank you to our friends, neighbours and suppliers for all their support this year. As 14 December was Save the Children Christmas Jumper Day we took the opportunity to support this great cause and invited all our guests to wear their silliest (sorry, most festive) jumpers in support of Save the Children.

Two of Emmott Snell Solicitor’s clients (referred to in this article as Mr X and Mr Y to protect their identities) have successfully obtained substantial out of court settlements after bringing compensation claims against Hampshire County Council and Surrey County Council for sexual assaults they suffered whilst placed at children’s homes.  

Sexual Abuse Referral Centres (SARCs) are a special service which provide help to victims of sexual assault and abuse.

They provide care for victims of both recent and non-recent assault, regardless of whether the victim has reported the assault to the police or not.

Editor's note: This post was originally written in 2017 and has since been refreshed for relevance and accuracy.

The age of consent for sex

In England and Wales the age of sexual consent is 16 for both men and women. The age of consent is the same regardless of the gender or sexual orientation of a person and whether the sexual activity is between people of the same or different gender.

The recent conviction of a Jehovah’s Witness elder in Wales highlights once again the endemic opportunities for sexual predators within religious institutions, and the difficulty in speaking out against institutional abuse.

Church elder, Thomas Brian Jenkins, denied 20 charges of indecent assault of a young girl in the 1970s within the context of carrying out missionary activities such as “door-to-door missions” to rural properties in the Welsh countryside. 

World Mental Health Day occurs annually on 10th October and its purpose is to raise awareness of mental health issues and mobilise efforts in support of mental health.

Each year, the World Federation for Mental Health chooses a theme on which to promote ‘World Mental Health Day’.