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.
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.
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.
Instances of abuse in sport have hit the headlines in recent years, most notably in football, where allegations of childhood sexual abuse have become rife. Over 300 clubs in the country have been directly affected by the scandal. It has been claimed by those involved that we could be facing a crisis on the scale of the Jimmy Savile scandal – described as a ‘tidal wave’ by Greg Clarke, chairman of the Football Association.
Some convictions have already been secured – this firm acts for one of the victims of Johnathan Bedford, for example, a former youth football coach and referee of a local youth football club in Lincoln, who got over 11 years in November last year.
Other prosecutions are well under way. The latest instance to hit the news is that of Bob Higgins, former youth coach and scout with Southampton in the 1980s (who went on to other clubs including Peterborough). Higgins has been charged with 65 counts of indecent assault against 23 boys.
The media has brought to light the prevalence of, and opportunity for, such abuse within football and is forcing clubs to address potential safeguarding shortcomings in terms of protecting the safety of their young players.
