VL (A CHILD SUING BY HER LITIGATION FRIEND, THE OFFICIAL SOLICITOR) AND OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL[2010] EWHC 2091 (QB) The Claimant was born in 1993. She was shaken as a baby by her father and suffered severe brain damage. A care order made in August 1994, as a result of which the Defendant local authority shared parental responsibility with the mother. However the social worker involved managed to achieve a situation where the family was eventually brought back together, after the father had undergone extensive psychiatric treatment. Full report here.
MAGA (BY HIS LITIGATION FRIEND, THE OFFICIAL SOLICITOR TO THE SUPREME COURT) V TRUSTEES OF THE BIRMINGHAM ARCHDIOCESE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH [2010] EWCA Civ 256 The Claimant was abused as a boy by an assistant priest, Father Clonan, serving at a church in Coventry. He had suffered brain damage at birth, and was recognised as educationally subnormal. He could not read or write. Father Clonan had joined the Church in around 1972 and he had put a great deal of energy into starting up a disco, a social club and other clubs for young people. He also ran a number of football teams. He constructed a community centre in the curtilage of the church using his own construction firm. He was a wealthy man owning two houses in the Coventry area and driving a sports car. He also paid boys to do odd jobs around the church. Full report here.
MAGA (BY HIS LITIGATION FRIEND, THE OFFICIAL SOLICITOR TO THE SUPREME COURT) V TRUSTEES OF THE BIRMINGHAM ARCHDIOCESE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH [2009] EWHC 780 (QB) The Claimant was abused as a boy by an assistant priest, Father Clonan, serving at a church in Coventry. He had suffered brain damage at birth, and was recognised as educationally subnormal. He could not read or write. It was alleged that in 1974, a Father McTernan, Father’s Clonan’s immediate superior was informed by the parents of another boy, M, that M had been abused by Father Clonan, but he had taken no action. It was uncertain when the abuse of the Claimant began, but it was pleaded as occurring over a period of many months in about 1976. Full report here.
NXS v London Borough of Camden [2009] EWHC 1786 (QB) The Claimant was born in November 1975 and was at the time of trial now 33 years of age. For the first year or so of her life, she lived with her mother, Miss P, her grandmother, Mrs P and a number of Miss P’s siblings. Her family were well known to social services and in the early 1960’s, there had been child protection issues relating to one of Miss P’s brothers, G who was known to have sexually abused his siblings. Full report here.
PIERCE V DONCASTER METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL [2008] EWCA Civ 1416 The Claimant was a 31 year old man with a long standing history of serious mental health problems. He had been diagnosed as HIV positive and was now receiving appropriate treatment. He was born on the 1st March 1976 into a family of six siblings. In August 1976 a health visitor noted that the Claimant had lost weight and appeared to be neglected, and so he was removed from his parents and placed in foster care from 1976 to 1977. Full report here.
TF AND LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM Unreported Mayor’s and City of London County Court 30th September 2008 The Claimant was born in May 1984 in the London Borough of Lewisham. Her natural mother was PF, and from birth there were concerns about the mother’s ability to care for her daughter. There was monitoring by social services and in 1986, the Claimant was placed on the child abuse register. In 1988 she was taken into care on a temporary basis and placed with foster parents, Mr and Mrs and Mrs B. She was then returned in 1989. It was agreed that if, after two months, the mother could not care for the Claimant, she would then be placed for adoption. Full report here.
RE F; F V LAMBETH LONDON BOROUGH COUNCIL [2002] 1 FLRSTANDARD OF CARE J, a child was born in 1984 and at the time of his hearing was 16 years of age. In December 1986, his name was placed on the child protection register. His brother, K was born in 1988 and was at the time of the hearing 12 years old. Wardship proceedings were begun by the London Borough of Lambeth (“Lambeth”) in September 1989, and interim care orders made in September 1991. They were placed in a children’s home. A year later full care orders were made with permission to rehabilitate them, but in July 1993 Lambeth decided not to take that step. Full report here.
S V GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL; L V THE LONDON BOROUGH OF TOWER HAMLETS AND LONDON BOROUGH OF HAVERING [2000] EWCA Civ 72 The Claimants were children in the care of a local authority and living with their foster parents. Each claimed that they were sexually abused by their foster father and that as a consequence they had suffered physical and long term psychological damage. They claimed that the damage was caused by the negligence of the local authority who were responsible for placing them with their foster parents and for subsequently monitoring their placement. Full report here.