On 21 September 2017 Emmott Snell took part (and we are pleased to say completed!) the Bedford Legal Walk, a 10km sponsored walk around Bedford. The walk started at Riverside Square and ended at the Park pub for a well deserved beverage where a raffle was held to raise further funds. The walk was organised by the Eastern Legal Support Trust to raise money for local advice services. Emmott Snell are pleased to be supporting Bedfordshire Victim Support, and delighted to have exceeded our fund raising target of £500. Emmott Snell would like to express our thanks to all our sponsors, fellow walkers and marshals and those kind enough to donate raffle prizes. If you would like to donate to please visit our fundraising page.
Childhood sexual abuse is a traumatic experience that can have devastating consequences throughout childhood and deep into adult life. The importance of appropriate support during the time of disclosure and beyond cannot be underestimated.
There can be no doubt that speaking out about being abused as a child or an adult takes incredible courage.
Considering taking legal action can be daunting and overwhelming. Many people will wonder where to start, what the process involves and whether they will be able to cope. The following is an attempt to break down the process into six simple steps.
In our blog series we have focused on institutional abuse - abuse in sport, abuse in religion and abuse in the military.
The entertainment industry is another forum which has had the spotlight on it, exposing the prevalence of sexual abuse and sexual assaults. Here I look at both perpetrators and victims of institutional abuse within the seemingly glamorous world of entertainment.
Emmott Snell are delighted to be taking part in the Bedford Legal Walk organised by the Eastern Legal Support Trust.
This 10km sponsored walk will raise money for local advice services who have been affected by funding cuts to allow them to continue to provide support and assistance to those that need it. Emmott Snell are supporting Bedfordshire Victim Support who provide emotional and practical help to those that have been affected by crime.
In recent news, extensive reports have been made on the conviction of a group of 18 people in Newcastle upon Tyne that were part of a sex grooming network that exploited vulnerable teenage girls as young as 14.
A shocking 278 victims were identified, 20 of whom came forward to give evidence in the trial. The perpetrators, both men and one woman, were convicted of almost 100 offences which included rape, conspiracy to incite prostitution and trafficking amongst others.
Accounts of the victims’ experiences resemble that of a horror story. They were befriended and regularly lured to parties where alcohol and drugs were readily available. This placed them in dangerous situations, where they were made to be so intoxicated that they were unable to defend themselves from rape by multiple men.
It is unfortunate that many holiday makers find their well-earned break ruined by suffering from food poisoning. Recently there were reports of approximately 50 holiday makers falling ill with suspected gastroenteritis at a hotel in Playa d’en Bossa, Ibiza.
If you have been affected by food poisoning whilst on holiday you may be able to make a compensation claim. Under the Package Travel Regulations 1992 your UK tour operator has a responsibility to provide holidays to a reasonable standard. If your holiday is not to a reasonable standard and your operator breaches the regulations you can make a claim for compensation.
Sadly, in recent years we have almost become accustomed to stories in the press about individuals using positions of authority to sexually abuse those that are vulnerable, such as children. There has been much media attention on the wrongdoings of members of the clergy such as former Bishop of Lewes, Peter Ball. An independent report into the horrific crimes he committed against children, over a period of 20 years or more, was published in June 2017. It accused the Church of England of “collusion and cover up”.
Three men who subjected a victim that we represent to sexual offences have been jailed for a total of 32 years.
Our client, who was a vulnerable child in care when the abuse started, was groomed by the group of men and found herself the victim of childhood sexual abuse. She was given alcohol and drugs by the group of men and made to be drug dependent, which was then used to sexually exploit her.
The summer holidays are nearly here and hundreds of thousands of Brits will shortly (or may have been lucky enough to have already done so) travel abroad to enjoy a well-earned break. Whilst the majority will stay safe and well and return tanned, and refreshed, sadly some will have their holiday ruined by illness on holiday caused by food poisoning.
