Abuse Claims Advice

Abuse Claims Advice

Compensation for Victims of Abuse / Historic Abuse

Watson Woodhouse limited have a specialist team with over 25 years of experience in complex cases with victims of abuse and historic abuse, we work compassionately against individuals and institutions to help our clients, get the compensation and often closure, they deserve.

Institutional abuse is sadly way too common, and carried out in organsiatons who are supposed to care and nurture young adults and people, often by those in positions of power with many of them controlled by the State or Public Authorities. Often comes in many forms, the most common being physical, emotional, sexual or even death. Both adults, youths and young children can be effected, and they carry this significant impact through to adult life with them. Many common examples we see here at Watson Woodhouse can include (but are not limited to):

• Prison and Detention Centres
• Schools
• Foster Care Homes
• Club & Leisure Premises
• Church & Religious Establishments
• Abuse within Football Clubs

Institutions do have a duty to care for and protect individuals in their care. Our State do have a degree of control over the institutions and are responsible for the protection of Human Rights of those in State care / detention.

It’s likely the organisation an abuser worked for will be liable for the abusers actions. We will pursue claims for compensation directly against the organisation who employed the abuser and they will be vicariously liable for the abuse carried out by their staff who abused positions of authority. If you have suffered institutional abuse historically, or recently, we want to help assist you in making a claim for compensation for the trauma you suffered, both physical and emotional in the short term, and often to reflect the lifelong impact the trauma has had on your adult years.

Our Solicitors have dealt with clients for decades, and understand how upsetting recounting and reliving the situation can be, they always deal with you with the utmost compassion, and care, and can help find support agencies, charities and groups to help you on your journey. We will do all we can to fight for justice for those who deserve it most, help to take the burden from you and guiding you through the process offering support and guidance from the outset.

Watson Woodhouse are here to help by acting on behalf of victims suffering historical abuse, and we have been incremental to clients receiving compensation pursuing justice for ex inmates and patients at the following Institutes:

• Medomsley Detention Centre & Kirklevington Detention Centre,
• West Lane Hospital (Tees Esk NHS Trust),

We have been instrumental in setting up a compensation scheme with the Ministry of Justice to compensate victims of historic physical and sexual abuse which took place whilst they were detained at Medomsley Detention Centre when they were children in the 1970s and 80s.

Please find all related PR here:

• Ministry of Justice Agrees to Compensation Extension
• Medomsley Compensation Scheme Extension
• Ministry of Justice Agrees Medomsley Compensation Scheme
• Final Medomsley Staff Jailed
• MP calls for Medomsley Abuse Inquiry
• Medomsley Detention Centre
• Medomsley Detention Centre: Additional Abuse Allegations

Although the scheme in respect of Medomsley will shortly be coming to an end in December 2021, Watson Woodhouse is hoping to establish a similar scheme in relation to abuse suffered by hundreds of child inmates detained at Kirklevington Detention Centre in the 1960s and 1970s. At the present time Cleveland Police have an on-going investigation into what went on at Kirklevington and we cannot proceed with any claims for compensation or setting up a compensation scheme unless and until criminal charges are brought against the officers who perpetrated the abuse. Until any prosecutions have taken place the only thing that we can do is take details of anybody who may have suffered abuse at Kirklevington, therefore if you were affected, please contact us so that we can add you to our database of potential claimants.

At Watson Woodhouse we understand the issues surrounding Institutional abuse and appreciate victim trauma. All enquiries are dealt sensitively and confidentially by our specialist team and we have both male and female solicitors available to assist and support. Applications are based on ‘No Win No Fee’ and our service is fully without obligation. Our dedicated team ensures flexible appointments so it works for you. During a free initial consultation we will assess compensation eligibility. Should we proceed, Watson Woodhouse Solicitors guarantee no deductions as fees from successful awards.

Compensation for Victims of Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse usually takes place within the family home and can be extremely distressing and upsetting for the victim as it is often carried out by a close partner who the victim is in an intimate relationship with and who is supposed to care about them most. It can take many forms such as:

• Physical assault
• Rape/sexual abuse
• Emotional and psychologically abusive behaviour such as manipulation and harassment
• Stalking
• Exercising coercive control which is a pattern of intimidating behaviour which may degrade, isolate or otherwise control the victim

If you have suffered physical and/or psychological injuries as a result of being the victim of a domestic abuser and you have reported the abuse to the police and have had medical treatment, our specialist solicitors may be able to assist you in pursuing a claim for compensation.

Unless the perpetrator of the abuse is a very wealthy individual who owns property and has other substantial financial assets, it is not advisable to pursue a compensation claim against them directly as they are unlikely to have sufficient funds available to pay you any damages. In such circumstances, you could get a court judgment in your favour but still end up with no compensation at all which is far from satisfactory.

It is therefore advisable that any claim for compensation arising from domestic abuse should be directed to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) which is a government body set up to compensate victims of crimes of violence who are not able to claim compensation from any other source. You will only be eligible to submit a claim to the CICA if the following apply:

• The incident has been reported to the police and you have a crime reference number (the abuser does not need to have been convicted)

• You do not have any unspent criminal convictions

• The attacker will not be capable of benefitting from the award (if you are still in a relationship with the attacker or living with them an award will not be made)
We can also introduce you to support services and charities who may be able to assist you with your recovery and help you to move on from what has happened to you such as:

• My Sister’s Place
• ARCH
• Harbour 

Unfortunately legal costs are not recoverable from the CICA therefore if you instruct us to act for you the case will be funded by way of a 25% deduction by from any award made to you by the CICA. However, we will never ask you to make any payments up front and this funding will be on an “No Win No Fee” basis which means that if your application is not successful, there will be nothing for you to pay. To read more about CICA, visit our page.

In addition, abuse experienced between 1964 and 1979 is now no longer covered by the same roof rule. The Same Roof Rule, stated that those who had experienced abuse from an abuser they lived with, were not entitled to compensation, as that compensation could benefit the abuser. This has now been abolished. Victims who experienced assault between 1964 and 1979 can now apply for compensation. If you were the victim of assault by someone you were living with between 1964 and 1979, you may now be able to make a successful application to the CICA. This means victims and survivors are able to make an application. Funding is currently available until summer 2021.

At Watson Woodhouse we understand the issues surrounding Domestic abuse and appreciate victim trauma. All enquiries are dealt sensitively and confidentially by our specialist team and we have both male and female solicitors available to assist and support. Applications may qualify for ‘No Win No Fee’ and our service is fully without obligation. Our dedicated team ensures flexible appointments so it works for you. During a free initial consultation we will assess compensation eligibility.