Thirty-Two-Year-Old And Legal Experts Urge Survivors Not To Suffer In Silence

A woman sexually abused while living in a children’s home has revealed her determination to “finally move on” with her life after lawyers secured her a settlement.

Josie Clark was placed into the care of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council as a young girl.  She spent time at a number of different establishments, including Whalley New Road Children’s Home. Josie was a known vulnerable child and had already suffered sexual abuse but was, sadly, not believed.

From the age of 10, Josie then spent nearly five years at Whalley New Road Children’s Home, on and off.  In that period, she and other girls suffered abuse from paedophiles.

In August 2007, the abusers, who were mostly Asian men, were convicted and, in May 2011, deported to Pakistan. Josie was aged 15 at the time of the conviction.

Woman abused in children's home asks lawyers for help

Josie, who has waived her right to anonymity, instructed expert lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to help her access the support she requires.

Now aged 32, she’s speaking for the first time about the impact the abuse had on her life. It comes after her legal team at Irwin Mitchell and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council agreed an undisclosed out of court settlement.  The local authority did not admit liability.

Jemma Small is a specialist lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who supports survivors of abuse and represented Josie.

Expert Opinion

“This is sadly yet another devastating case where a vulnerable child has suffered unimaginable abuse.

“While it’s many years since the abuse, it still affects Josie to this day. No amount of money will ever make up for the trauma she’s been through, but we’re pleased to have been able to secure her this settlement which will allow her to access the specialist support she requires as she attempts to move forward with her life.

“We also applaud Josie’s bravery in sharing her experiences in an aim of helping others.

“Survivors of abuse need not suffer in silence as help and support is available.” Jemma Small

Abuse: Josie's story

Josie was driven around by groups and forced to have sexual encounters with multiple men on any given night. Josie was also drugged and plied with alcohol on a regular basis, often therefore not being able to recall her experiences afterwards.

As time passed and the abuse she was suffering from became more violent, Josie found the courage to speak out and discussed her experiences with staff at the care home. A police investigation was launched, leading to convictions being secured many years later.

Determination to 'finally move on' following settlement to fund access to specialist support

Josie said: “As a child in care, I was already vulnerable. The local authority had a duty to protect me and I believe it failed.

“I felt like nobody cared about me. I could come and go from the home as I wanted and nobody bothered to try and stop me. I would be beaten and abused, and afterwards I would be punished by being locked out of my room.

“It’s taken a long time and a lot of courage to be able to speak out on what I went through. I’ve always struggled with my mental health but I didn’t feel like there were any efforts to support me when I was in care. It’s only now that people are listening to me.

“I’ve never received an apology from the council, which upsets me. I’ll always live with the impact of the abuse but I feel that I can finally move on. I just hope that by speaking out I can encourage others to do the same.”

Find out more about our expertise in helping survivors of historic and more recent abuse at our dedicated abuse and criminal injury claims section. Alternatively, to speak to an expert contact us or call 0808 149 6426.