Advice (social services failings)

[Booboo2]

Good afternoon thank you accepting me onto your forum
Hope everyone is well

I'm doing a post for a family member

When she was 8 she was on child protection
During that time she confided in a social worker that she was being sexually abused
Being so young she assumed social services would do what they could to help her
But as time went on and she was taken off child protection and started to live a somewhat normal life
She always wondered why the police or her parents didn't speak with her
After many years of living with this trauma
Social services handed her social records over to her ex husband
Very silly move
She did sue them and was compensated for the data breach
But once she got her records back off him
She saw that social services didn't even make a big deal of it and basically made it sound like she was just touched
When showing her records to her parents they were shocked they was never made aware of her abuse by them
Police or school wasn't even informed

She is still recovering and receiving help
But her family support worker as helped her do a complaint about how she was failed
Her support worker is giving her so much hope on how not only will she justice or answers as to why it was never taken seriously but also told her she will most likely be compensated for this

But now she had done this complaint she feels like nothing will be done due to it being so long ago
And they will probably tell her that too much time as passed and she should of done the justice side her self
She is full of more doubt now she is going on this journey
Than she was before she started this journey for answers and justice
Can someone give her some hope that this complaint will be taken seriously
I just feel she has been failed so much by so many
And its time she got answers for all these failings

Thank you

[benion]

The Savile case and Operation Yewtree transformed the attitude of police and society towards historic child abuse.

As this abuse was clearly documented at the time, there is contemporaneous evidence that she is a victim.

I would say that she has a good chance of getting the justice she deserves.

The only issue is that dredging all this up from her childhood may be very painful for her. I hope with your emotional support she gets through this difficult time as well as possible in the situation.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Booboo2,

Welcome to the parents' board and thank you for your post.

Firstly, I would like to say that I am deeply sorry to hear about the abuse your friend experienced as a child, and that the adults and organisations who should have safeguarded her as a child failed in their duty. This must be extremely painful and distressing for her.

You say that your friend was on a child protection plan at the age of 8, and that she disclosed that she was being sexually abuse to children's service. As an adult, she requested her records, which were given to her ex-husband. She has since received compensation for this date breach, but is distressed to have learnt that children's services did not adequately respond to her disclosure or take steps to safeguard her. She is being supported by her family support worker to make a complaint against children's services, and she would like some reassurance that she will not be failed again.

The effects of non-recent child abuse, sometimes called historical abuse, can last a lifetime - there is never an excuse for abuse, and it is never too late for a victim or survivor to seek answers or support, if this is what they would like to do. Your friend may find it helpful to take a look at this page here on getting help and seeking compensation for those who were abused as a child.

She may find it helpful to contact the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) on 08088010331. This is a national charity offering support to adult survivors of all types of childhood abuse, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. She can also contact The Survivors Trust on 08088 010818 which is a national umbrella agency for specialist rape and sexual abuse support organisations for women, men, young people and children.

Finally, The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, was set up because of serious concerns that some organisations had failed and were continuing to fail to protect children from sexual abuse. It has a wide-ranging remit and you can find out more about this here. The Inquiry also has a phoneline, open on weekdays from 9am - 5pm: 0800 917 1000.

I hope you have found this helpful.

Best wishes,

Suzie.