Abuse Survivors Blog

Dr Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester's response to our client making her story public.

'It is testimony to her courage and integrity that the survivor who brought the allegations against George Bell has been prompted to speak out... 

See full article from The Argus:

We were proud to host professional colleagues, friends (old and new), and family, at our 5 year anniversary and new office opening event. We were equally delighted to be joined by Richard Fuller MP, who since 2012 has listened to us on a number of issues relating to our work. He was gracious in his acknowledgement of the contribution Emmott Snell Solicitors has made in the field of representing survivors of abuse at both national and local level. It was also an opportunity to thank all those who, knowingly or unknowingly, have contributed to us reaching our 5 year milestone.

Southwark Crown Court: Richard Alston, former special needs school teacher and long term partner of Peter Righton (one of the founders of the Paedophile Information Exchange aka PIE) has been found guilty of 2 sexual offences against a child. PIE was a notorious group set up in the 1970s which inter alia, campaigned to lower the age of consent . Alston abused his position of trust as a teacher, grooming an 11 year old pupil at the Cavendish School in Greenford such that he started visiting the flat Alston shared with Peter Righton. Here the boy was plied with alcohol and bought gifts of cigarettes and toys. Alston was found guilty on one count of indecent assault and one count of indecency, although had been charged with many more counts against the boy.

Press release: Hampshire man donates compensation child abuse damages to Childline

The trial of David Lowe, former housemaster at WCCS and music teacher at Ampleforth School concluded today, following guilty verdicts on all 15 counts of indecent assault of a boy under 14, all of which Lowe had denied. The court heard evidence from 10 complainants, all of whom independently recounted similar instances of sexual assaults by David Lowe while they were pupils, between 1978 and 1984. The jury heard David Lowe being a described as a friendly and popular teacher, but that there was a 'sinister' aspect, in the form of a propensity for young boys in his charge, some of whom were identified as his 'special' boys. Now adults, complainants told the jury how David Lowe had opportunistically fondled their genitals, during one to one music lessons, during patrols of the school dormitory, and in his house master's room whilst administering corporal punishment on their bare bottoms. He regularly masturbated one complainant to ejaculation after lights were out in the WCCS dormitory.

We were so pleased to support Eli Ward throughout the inquiry and represent him in a successful civil claim. While compensation was never his main objective, it was a strong indicator of acceptance by the Church of England that he had been badly failed, such that he was sadly exploited by a very senior clergyman. Judge Cahill's report, identifying "systemic failures" in the Church of England in relation to the protection of the victims from abuse, is welcomed.

Following his convictions on all counts - 12 indecent assault charges on 4 girls including one aged just 7 or 8, Mr Justice Sweeney when sentencing today said Harris showed "no remorse", and had taken advantage of his celebrity status. Harris was sentenced to almost 6 years. He was told he was likely to serve half his prison term, and pay compensation to his victims.

This firm represented 'XY', in a civil claim arising from sexual abuse by Gerd Sommerhof, a high profile teacher between 1976 and 1983. XY brought his legal case after years of torment and attempts to 'bury' it, but it was the Savile scandal that finally gave him the courage to report it. Although his abuser had died, XY was successful in recovering a not insignificant sum of damages for his assaults and associated losses.