Youth Sports Clubs and Youth Organisation Abuse Claims

The Scouts is meant to be a safe organisation for children to learn and socialise, but abusers and paedophiles in positions of trust and authority can take advantage of young people being away from their parents.

Sexual, physical, or emotional abuse can be committed by anyone working for or involved with the Scouts, Cubs or Beavers organisations, including:

• Scout Leaders
• Volunteers
• Employees at camps or activities used by the Scouts
• Other children in the Scouts.

The abuser doesn't necessarily have to be directly employed by or volunteering with the Scouts for us to claim the organisation. We may be able to establish that they failed in their duty to keep children in their care safe by exposing them to an abuser.

However, depending on the evidence, and the nature of the case, there may be the opportunity to claim against the individual responsible for the abuse.

Yes, we’ll always work to keep your personal details private if this is what you want. We understand the personal trauma these claims can bring up for our clients, and we want to make sure you feel safe and protected.

All documents on your case will be strictly classified and before contacting any external organisations, we’ll discuss this with you.

To make a compensation claim, the first thing you need to do is get in touch with us for a free consultation. We'll discuss the circumstances of your abuse, advise you on whether or not we think you can claim, and work out whether you could benefit from legal aid or a No Win No Fee  arrangement.

If you decide to make a claim with us, we'll usually follow the same four stages:

• Investigation. We'll take a full history from you, taking time to understand what happened and when. We’ll note any injuries or psychological trauma you've experienced as a result and we may refer you for a medical or psychological examination to investigate the full impact of your abuser's actions. We may also look into records kept by the police, courts, schools, Local Authorities, or medical institutions.

  We'll also need to work out who the claim will be made against. It could be an individual, or an organisation either responsible for that person's actions, or for your safety. If it's an individual, our investigators will have to look into their financial assets to find out if they'll be able to pay any settlement we agree.

• Rehabilitation. Abuse, whether physical, sexual or emotional, can have long-lasting impacts on both physical and mental health, and we'll help you to access any medical or psychological care and support you need, both now and in the future.

• Compensation. We'll work out how much compensation you should get based on the severity of your injuries or trauma, your pain and suffering, any medical expenses you've had to pay, and whether your abuser has impacted your ability to find work.

• Conclusion. If your opponent accepts blame, you'll be awarded compensation. If not, the case will be settled in court – although this is rare. If you do have to go to court, we'll be there to support you every step of the way. If we agreed to handle your claim under a No Win No Fee* arrangement, then you won't have to pay anything if you were unsuccessful.

The normal time limit is three years from the date of abuse to make a claim. However, if you or your loved one were under 18, the three-year time limit will start when they’re 18.

However, the difficulties of abuse survivors are fully understood by the courts. This means it’s possible to waive the time limit for an abuse claim. The decision is made on a case-by-case basis, and the court will consider:

• The reasons for not bringing a claim within the time limit
• The fairness to both the claimant and defendant if the time limit is waived
• Whether it’s possible to still have a fair trial.

We’re able to help with time-limit appeals as part of your abuse claim.

Every claim is unique, and so is the amount of compensation each person will receive. There are several factors that we’ll consider when calculating your compensation amount. This includes:

• The type of abuse experienced
• The extent of the abuse, and how long it's gone on for
• Physical injuries experienced as a result, and any treatment needed both now and in the future
• Psychological trauma, and any therapy or counselling needed both now and in the future
• Impacts on your ability to find work because of abuse.

Most of the youth sport and youth organisation abuse claims we handle are funded by a no win no fee agreement. This means there’s no financial risk to you should your claim be unsuccessful.

Yes, legal aid may be available for some types of abuse cases.

Legal aid is means-tested. We can help you with the application process for this and, if you don’t qualify, we’ll explore other types of funding such as no win no fee agreements. 

If you’d like to discuss whether you can make an abuse claim using legal aid, contact our team.