Sexual Abuse

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Posted on June 12, 2017
Sexual Abuse

Information recently published by the NSPCC show that the work of children’s charities is as important as ever. It can be easy to assume that child abuse, poverty and neglect happens elsewhere,  but the reality is that these issues are everywhere in our society and affect many children in our rural region. For example:- Last year Avon & Somerset police recorded 1118 sexual offences against children 555 children in Somerset were subject to a child protection plan last year There are 870 children in care in...

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Posted on June 5, 2017
Sexual Abuse

Scout abuse victim wins compensation despite claim being 'out of time'. John Bates has been described as the ‘Jimmy Savile’ of the Scouting world. As well as holding a position of trust as a Scout leader, he was a serving Police officer with Lincolnshire Police for a number of years. However, we now know that Bates used this persona of authority and respect to groom and sexually abuse young boys. He would be excessively tactile with the boys and groom them...

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Posted on May 10, 2017
Sexual Abuse

Rachel Thain and Liz Duncan, lawyers in the firm’s specialist abuse law unit, have beenappointed as the PR team for the West Somerset branch of the NSPCC. Rachel has also become secretary of the branch. Liz and Rachel have strong links with the NSPCC, organising a very successful cycling event last year which help raise much needed funds. Their aim will be to continue to raise the profile of this very worthy charity that does so much for the nation’s children and in...

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Posted on May 9, 2017
Sexual Abuse, Uncategorized

Abuse lawyer, Liz Duncan, examines the links between sexual abuse and mental health, explaining that compensation from a legal claim can be used to enable the survivor to access specialist therapy and counselling to aid their recovery The Mental Health Foundation is reporting that nearly two thirds of us will experience mental health problems at some time, with only 13% of the population living with high levels of good mental health. Mental health issues are a particular concern for the survivors of sexual abuse....

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Posted on December 5, 2016
Sexual Abuse

28 members of staff from our Barnstaple and Taunton offices raised almost £4,000 by pedalling continuously for 24 hours on stationery exercise bikes. By the end of the event they had clocked up 715 miles. £1,918 was raised from individual sponsors. This sum was then matched by the partners of Slee Blackwell LLP, taking the total to £3,837. Sponsors were entered into a free prize draw. Prizes, generously donated by local businesses, included pantomime tickets and vouchers for hair treatments. Elizabeth Duncan, a Chartered...

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Posted on November 14, 2016
In the News, Sexual Abuse

Abuse Lawyer, Elizabeth Duncan, appeared on ITV News on Monday 28 November talking about sex abuse in football and sport. Elizabeth told ITV that abuse in football and sport generally is a serious problem. She said that much more needs to be done by sporting institutions to help those who have been abused in the past and to prevent abuse occurring in future. Slee Blackwell's abuse law team has established a national reputation in this highly specialised field and has a client...

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Posted on June 14, 2016
Sexual Abuse

Solicitor and former scout Lee Dawkins reports on the growing number of calls to our Abuse Helpline from people who have been abused by scout leaders. As a former scout myself I appreciate how valuable and rewarding membership of The Scout Association can be. I look back fondly on my time, first as a cub and subsequently as a scout in South London. However, as with so many institutions we admire, it only takes the acts of a few depraved individuals to tarnish the...

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Posted on December 1, 2015
Sexual Abuse

The Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has launched the ‘Public Hearings Project’ by announcing the start of the Inquiry’s investigative work. 12 initial areas of investigation have been identified by Judge Lowell Goddard. Some of these investigation are institution specific, while the others are thematic investigations. As part of the thematic investigations the inquiry will focus on child sexual exploitation by organised networks. Systematic grooming and sexual abuse of children is widespread in this country, with Devon and...

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Posted on July 15, 2015
Sexual Abuse

Our client's CICA application was originally rejected for being out of time. On our advice she appealed. The appeal was successful and the CICA will now be paying her compensation. If a crime is reported to the Police when the victim is a child, the rules of the criminal injuries scheme state that the victim must make an application to the CICA for compensation by their 20th birthday. If they miss that deadline they lose the right to receive compensation under...

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Posted on June 17, 2015
Sexual Abuse

Rachel Thain, an abuse specialist at our Taunton office, reports on the ‘unreserved apology’ that has been issued by the Methodist Church for decades of sexual abuse. A three year inquiry into complaints of physical and sexual abuse involving the Methodist Church has identified allegations against almost two thousand perpetrators, taking place over the course of half a century. When you consider that each perpetrator may have had multiple victims, this means that many thousands of innocent lives are likely to...

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