Church set to pay out for abuse

The Church of England could have to pay out hundreds of thousands of pounds in damages and legal fees as a result of historic child abuse at a home for young girls.

Former residents of Kendall House in Pelham Road, Gravesend, have been seeking out solicitors since the results of an independent investigation into its “harrowing” regime were published in a review last summer.

The results of a further review were released just before Christmas and “gratitude” payouts of £1,000 have already been made to the more than 20 women who gave evidence, but many of them are still suing the church for what happened to them.

Samantha Robson, of Robsonshaw Solicitors, has been bringing claims against the church over Kendall House since 2011, with six more victims coming forward since the review was published.

She said: “Closure is very important to these women who finally want recognition for their mistreatment when they were vulnerable children.

“Some of these victims have suffered significant health issues as a consequence of their treatment at Kendall House. Often claimants will need to be examined by a specialist psychiatrist to provide evidence on mental health issues.”

The church is insured for such cases and has already settled a number of them, with Mrs Robson securing a five-figure award of compensation for a woman who lived at the home in the 1980s.

Mrs Robson, who has been specialising in sexual abuse claims for 16 years, said the church was taking a positive approach to the cases and did not want to prolong suffering.