Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Left Without Redress as UK Shelves Compensation Scheme

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Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Left Without Redress as UK Shelves Compensation Scheme

 

Survivors of child sexual abuse across England and Wales have been dealt a devastating blow after the UK government quietly abandoned plans to implement a national compensation scheme, citing financial constraints. The scheme, once promised by the previous Conservative administration, was one of the key recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). While similar redress programmes in Scotland and Northern Ireland have already distributed hundreds of millions of pounds to victims, the Home Office has now confirmed that it will not proceed with the proposal for the rest of the UK.

 

In a recent report titled Tackling Child Sexual Abuse: Progress Update, the Home Office stated, “In the current fiscal environment, this recommendation is very difficult to take forward.” The report also acknowledged that the government “is not currently taking forward any further steps on the IICSA proposal for a separate, national financial redress scheme for all survivors of child sexual abuse.”

 

For many survivors, the decision marks the end of a long and painful pursuit of justice. Among them is 71-year-old Marie, who endured alleged sexual, physical, and emotional abuse at Greenfield House Convent in St Helens, Merseyside, between 1959 and 1962. She was just six years old when she arrived at the convent. “As soon as I arrived, my hair was cut off, my name was changed, and I experienced regular beatings from the nuns and students,” she recalled.

 

Marie claims a nun orchestrated acts of violence, including a horrific incident where she was held down with her legs “spread-eagled” and sexually abused with a coat hanger. Although Merseyside Police investigated the allegations, the suspect died in 2016 before charges could be brought. Marie received an apology from the Catholic body that ran the home, but her civil claim for damages was dismissed for being filed too long after the abuse occurred.

 

Under existing law, victims had to make civil claims before the age of 21 unless they could prove a fair trial was still possible despite the time delay. Campaigners long argued that this statute of limitations was unjust, given that survivors take an average of 26 years to come forward. In February, ministers announced changes to the 1980 Limitation Act, which could allow more survivors to seek justice through the courts.

 

However, Peter Garsden, president of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers, expressed concern about the practical impact of those changes. “It takes between three and five years for a civil case to get to trial,” he explained. “Claimants can end up losing if you go through that process. Whereas the Redress Scheme would be quicker, much more straightforward, and much more likely to give justice to the victims.”

 

Jimbo, another survivor, spent 13 years pursuing legal action over the abuse he suffered at St Aidan’s children’s home in Cheshire. His case went to the High Court twice and the Court of Appeal three times. In the end, he received just £10 to cover his bus fare to court. A Lord Justice of Appeal even stated that he believed the abuse occurred, but Jimbo’s claim was denied due to the time limit.

 

Neither Marie nor Jimbo is likely to benefit from the removal of the time restrictions for personal injury claims. For victims like them, the now-abandoned National Redress Scheme represented perhaps their final hope for justice. “The money is about justice and about all the other people who have had to suffer this abuse,” said Marie.

 

Campaigners are continuing to urge the government to reverse its decision and honour the recommendations of the IICSA, warning that without a dedicated redress scheme, countless survivors will remain unheard and uncompensated.

 

  Adpated by ASEAN Now from Sky News  2025-05-05