Three children will begin a unique High Court fight next week for
compensation from two local authorities they allege left them exposed to
physical and sexual abuse by their families for years.
The youngsters, named only as A, B and C for legal reasons, are suing
Bedfordshire County Council and Luton Borough Council in a five-day case that
could net them tens of thousands of pounds in damages.
Their lawyers say that although the troubled family first became known to the
local authorities in 1992, it wasn’t until 2000 that the children, who have
different fathers but the same mother, were finally taken into care.
In a summary of the case presented to the court, it is alleged that the
children’s brother, D, was reported to be suffering a bruised face in August
1992.
A child protection conference was held in September that year and there were
‘numerous’ further contacts between the councils and the family.
In the autumn of 1992, A, the eldest daughter, was placed on the child
protection register.
In August 1994 B was taken to hospital by his mother and was found to have
suffered a fractured skull and haematoma with the medical evidence contradicting
claims it was an accident, the children’s legal team claims.
Just seven months later, A reported she had been indecently assaulted by her
maternal grandfather and her mother backed up her claims.
The authorities were told in December 1996 that the mother was abusing heroin
and in April 1997 someone called and said the mother had been seen beating the
children when high on drugs.
The children are suing under the Local Authority Services Act 1970 and say the
councils failed to protect them from a ‘foreseeable risk’ of harm.
The councils admit they owed the children a duty of care, but deny they were
negligent or breached their duty under the law.
The children’s solicitor, Robert Bedford said outside the court in London: “We
claim these children should have been taken into care much sooner than they were
and that they suffered psychological injuries as a result.”
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