Irwin Mitchell’s child abuse solicitors successfully secured a six-figure settlement for the victim of abuse by a Church of England priest.
Background
Our client, Malcolm, was a former choirboy who suffered years of abuse by a Church of England priest in the 1970s. The priest carried out the indecent assaults in the church itself and the adjoining vicarage over a number of years, starting when Malcolm was just eight years old.
He suffered in silence with the effects of the abuse for several decades. His education was severely compromised and he was unable to hold down a job for long periods.
Abuse Reported & Compensation Awarded
In 2010, he reported the abuse to the police. The priest was subsequently arrested and convicted of four counts of indecent assault against our client in 2011. He was sentenced to three years in prison. The church admitted liability early on for the assaults perpetrated by the priest.
Malcolm claimed compensation not only for the acts of abuse themselves, but also for the lost earnings resulting from his inability to secure long term employment. His siblings were all successful professionals and we argued that he too would have been a high earner had he not been abused.
We secured a £200,000 settlement for Malcolm.
Stephanie Pelling, a child abuse solicitor in Irwin Mitchell’s London office, said: “We deal with many victims whose lives have been destroyed at the hands of their abusers and, though everyone’s needs are different, the majority of people suffer long-term effects and need professional support to help them.
“The settlement agreed will provide the necessary therapies which we hope will help Malcolm to come to terms with what happened and allow him to move forward with his life.”
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