Following the exposure of Jimmy Saville’s abuse in 2012 and the huge media attention that followed the public could be forgiven for concluding that in recent times sexual abuse is perhaps not quite as prevalent.
Recent televisions programmes have shone a light on the prevalence of female paedophiles: the current storyline in EastEnders which sees Mick Carter reliving the sexual abuse he suffered as a child by his social worker Katie, is a case in point.
For the majority of us we consider our GP or other medical professionals to be people who we can feel safe with when having a consultation.
Editors note: This blog incorporates information previously published in November 2018 but provides a short update on developments since then.
Editor's note: This post was originally written in 2019 and has since been updated for relevance.
A victim of sexual abuse by a vicar has successfully obtained an out-of-court settlement in a civil claim against The Diocese of Chichester for sexual assaults she suffered as a child.
Over recent years, there has been a shocking increase in the number of students presenting with a mental health problem. Researchers in 2019 undertook an investigation into 38,000 university students in the UK and found that, alarmingly, half of these students had suffered with suicidal thoughts. Moreover, four out of ten of these students admitted to using drugs or alcohol to cope with their problems, whilst one in three had had experienced a serious psychological issue for which they felt they needed professional help.
The purpose of a civil claim is to seek recognition for survivors in the form of ‘damages’ or compensation for abuse suffered by them. This compensation aims to put survivors in the financial position they would have been in, had the abuse not occurred.
One consequence of lockdown has been having time to watch some excellent TV programmes.
Netflix’ double ‘Epstein: Filthy Rich’ and ‘Athlete A’ are disturbing documentaries both detailing the sexual exploitation of girls and young women by men of significant power.
The Covid 19 health crisis and in particular lockdown means that children of all ages are unable to attend school and no doubt missing their friends and teachers.
More allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse in the entertainment industry have been exposed, most recently in relation to a top choreographer for the Royal Ballet.
