Maidwell Hall: Historic Abuse Investigation launched at UK boarding school

Police have launched an investigation into a school attended historically by Princess Diana’s brother, after reports of alleged historic abuse dating back to the 1970s.

Earl Spencer attended the independent Maidwell Hall School from the ages of 8 to thirteen and wrote in his memoir ‘A Very Private School’, published this year, about how he suffered both physical and sexual abuse.

Now, police have launched a criminal investigation into allegations of non-recent sexual abuse at the Northamptonshire school.

The move comes after the Force conducted preliminary enquiries into allegations of abuse that are said to have taken place in the 1970s at Maidwell Hall School earlier in the year.

A spokesperson for Northamptonshire Police said:

“We are in the early stages of investigating several non-recent allegations of sexual abuse at Maidwell Hall School.

“Northamptonshire Police takes all allegations of abuse very seriously and where reports are made to us, we will pursue all available lines of enquiry to help bring perpetrators to justice.”

Speaking to the BBC, Earl Spencer said he suffered “migraines and nightmares, and was seriously troubled writing this book”, which is centred around the school in question.

He revealed he had been through therapy and that “all roads kept leading back to this boarding school”.

Earl Spencer said talking about the abuse was “very tough… and emotionally exhausting”.

In a statement when the book was launched, Maidwell Hall said it was “sobering to read about the experiences Charles Spencer, and some of his fellow alumni, had at the school, and we are sorry that was their experience”.

Northamptonshire police encourages anyone who has suffered abuse anywhere in our county, at any time, to contact us either online at Northants.police.uk, or by calling 101 or 03000 111 222 if you’re calling from outside of Northamptonshire.

Anyone reporting sexual abuse has the legal right to lifelong anonymity, which only they can waive.

Compensation for historic abuse

If you are a survivor of abuse in the past, whether that be sexual abuse or physical assault, you may be entitled to claim compensation for the impact it had upon your health.

A claim can be made for the physical impact to your health but also, an often more importantly, it can also be made for any damage it may have caused to your mental health. Compensation can be claimed for personal injury and also any financial losses you may have suffered as a result of your ill health.

Even if the abuse took place decades ago, you may still be entitled to make a claim.

Historic Abuse – Should I make a claim?

Before deciding on whether making a claim is the best option for you, it’s important to seek some initial legal advice about the merits. Here at Oakwood Solicitors, we offer a free assessment and would be happy to discuss this with you and no charge.

If you find a Solicitor who is of the view that your claim does have merits, then it is important to also consider the impact to your health that taking a claim forward may have.

Litigation can be a stressful process and may have an adverse impact on your health. We are not doctors, so we cannot give you medical advice, but are under a duty to advise you that pursuing a claim will be a reminder of the trauma of the abuse whilst the claim is ongoing and this may have an negative impact on your mental health.

Please also note that the only outcome to a successful claim is financial compensation. You may see the litigation as a mechanism for obtaining answers but the majority of cases settle out of Court, which may result in many of your questions remaining unanswered.

You may be advised by your doctors that by revisiting the trauma of the abuse you suffered may set you back in your recovery. The decision to proceed must be your own, in conjunction with your medical advisors.

If you agree to proceed forward with a claim, then our team will support you as best as they can and try and make the process as stress-free as possible.

Why should I use Oakwood Solicitors to make my claim?

At Oakwood Solicitors, we have a dedicated team focused solely on claims of this nature. We have experience dealing with victims of sexual abuse and understand that this is a stressful time for all involved. We are eager to return the compensation you are entitled to.

Further reading

Historic abuse claims – Oakwood Solicitors

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