Abuse in Religious Organisations

This area of the law is highly specialised and it is important to have a solicitor who has experience pursuing claims for compensation for sexual and physical abuse and assault within religious institutions.

You can contact us for a free, no-obligation chat. We will will advise you whether you are eligible to make a claim and the likely level of damages.

If you decide to pursue the claim we will do all the work for you, keeping you informed at every stage.

If you suffered sexual or physical abuse within a religious context, you may be able to claim damages in the form of monetary compensation. It does not matter if the abuse occurred many years ago.

If the person who suffered abuse is under 18, the claim can be brought by a parent or close relative.

Similarly, if the person who was abused is unable to speak to us due to old age or disability, a close family member can seek advice for them.

It is usual for the claim to be brought against the religious organisation rather than the individual who abused you.

The law states that the organisation will be automatically responsible for the actions of its employees, or those who are in positions similar to employment.

There are a number of factors which can affect how long a claim takes. Generally, a civil claim for sexual or physical abuse or assault can be concluded within 6-12 months. We will provide you with regular updates as your claim progresses.

Once we have been able to assess your case, we will give you an idea at the outset of the likely timescale.

It will very much depend on what evidence we need to gather, who we are bringing the claim against, and also whether the claim can be settled without court proceedings.

Each claim is different. We will assess your claim and give you an idea at the outset of the likely compensation you can expect to receive.

A civil claim for sexual or physical abuse can include the following types of compensation:

• General damages – An award of money for the abuse/assaults themselves and for the pain, suffering and any psychological effects.
• Special damages – An award for any specific financial losses we can prove, such as loss of earnings or the cost(s) of any treatment or counselling.
• Aggravated damages – An additional award of money in certain cases where the court considers that there has been additional distress caused by the manner in which the abuse occurred. This is commonly the case where abuse has occurred in a religious context, where there has been abuse of a position of power or trust.

The majority of abuse claims are funded by a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is also known as a ‘no-win, no-fee’ agreement.

The way these agreements work means that you do not have to pay anything to us upfront.

If you successfully recover damages, the majority of your costs will be paid by the other side. You may have to contribute to costs out of any compensation recovered, but this will not be more than 25%.

We may advise you to take out After the Event (ATE) Insurance in your claim, depending on the case. If we consider that it should be taken out, we will discuss this in detail with you.

Any ATE premium will only be payable if you win and will not need to be paid until the end of the claim.

No, but we will always encourage our clients who have not reported to the police to do so. The incidents that you complain of will almost certainly also amount to a criminal offence.

If you have not reported the abuse to the police, we can point you in the right direction.

At Oakwood Solicitors, we have dedicated lawyers with over 20 years of experience, acting for survivors of sexual and physical abuse.

We understand how difficult it can be to bring a claim, and we are committed to dealing with your case in a sensitive way.

You will have a dedicated solicitor who will deal with your claim from start to finish, and who will be able to speak to you at times convenient to you – even if this is outside our normal office hours.