£57k payout for victim of abuse while in care
A VICTIM of one of the worst cases of child sex abuse ever seen in Wales has been paid compensation for shortcomings in the care he later received.
“Steven” – an agreed alias to protect his identity – was abused for years by his father and other members of a paedophile ring in Pembrokeshire.
Insurers for the former Dyfed County Council have paid around £57,000 to the victim, who is now 34.
Four years ago we told how Steven was taking legal action over the way his care was handled by Dyfed, which until local government reorganisation in 1996 covered the areas now served by Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire councils.
Steven was abused by his father from an early age, as well as by his own elder brother and other men. The brother who abused him was sent to the same children’s home as the victim.
In 1994 the boys’ father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was jailed for 15 years for conspiring to sexually abuse young children. Four other men were also jailed for participating in the ring, which initially abused children in their own families, but went on to involve group sex sessions with other paedophiles in barns and on beaches.
When he was six or seven, Steven was abused on a boat by his father and another man and dropped into the sea a mile offshore. The adults then circled around him while he was told he would be left in the water next time if he ever spoke about what happened. When members of the paedophile ring were arrested, Steven was taken into care. But instead of being a safe environment for him, the abuse continued.
Documents disclosed to him years later exposed major worries within Dyfed County Council about the way his case was handled.
A memorandum from a senior social worker expressed strong concern about plans to send the victim’s older brother, who had abused him, to the same children’s home.
But despite the social worker’s recommendation, the two were put together.
Two weeks later minutes of a meeting of social workers and carers at the home said that Steven’s brother had introduced him to a drug dealer when he was 12 and that he smoked cannabis and drank alcohol.
A social worker reported that Steven was psychologically and emotionally under a lot of pressure from his older brother, who had told him his grandfather would “get him”.
Further documents showed that while Dyfed’s director of social services initially indicated an intention to appeal against the decision of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board to award Steven compensation of £12,500 on the grounds that it was lower than the going rate for the abuse suffered, the appeal was not pursued.
A senior social worker wrote a memorandum saying he was appalled at the short time of preparation given to Steven before having to give evidence in the court case involving his father and other paedophiles. Other material showed the depth of concern by professionals at a failure to find an appropriate placement for Steven in the run-up to the court case. At the time he was being looked after by non-specialist and casually employed carers.
The minutes of a meeting state: “[A social worker] was concerned that there had appeared to be a complete lack of liaison with the education department until today. He felt that Steven was currently at the [named centre] because social services did not know where else to place him. Steven’s current needs have to be properly assessed.”
An out-of-court settlement was reached after negotiations involving Steven’s solicitor, Iain Scott of Hugh James in Cardiff.
Steven said: “I am pleased with the settlement and hope to move on in my life.”
A spokeswoman for Carmarthenshire County Council said: “This is not a matter for us to comment on, as this has nothing to do with Carmarthenshire council. While we are the administrators for the former Dyfed council, our role does not extend to commenting on any cases.”