Victim abused by paedophile PE teacher gets council payout
AMAN who suffered years of sexual abuse at the hands of a predatory PE teacher has secured a five-figure settlement from Birmingham City Council.
‘Sadistic’ Marcus Marcussen was jailed for nine years in February 2015 after being found guilty of a string of historic sex attacks against 14 boys.
Mark Thomas, who was the first victim to come forward to the police, suffered a nervous breakdown and attempted to take his own life following the trauma of the abuse.
Mr Thomas, who has waived his right to anonymity, was abused by Marcussen while he was a pupil at Ilmington Comprehensive School in Weoley Castle in the 1970s.
Now, the 56-year-old hopes the compensation will help him move forward from the nightmare he endured in his childhood.
“It remains incredibly hard to talk about because the abuse has had such a major impact on my life,” said Mark. “I’ve suffered a range of issues as a result of what happened and it is a very difficult thing to try to come to terms with. I know nothing will ever erase the nightmare that I’ve faced, but I am hopeful that this settlement will ensure I can access support which will help me push forward with my life.”
Mr Thomas was abused by Marcussen between 1975 and 1978, with the pervert teacher watching him shower, fondling him, and forcing him and other boys to swim naked.
After Marcussen was jailed, Mr Thomas instructed lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to seek compensation from Birmingham City Council, who employed the teacher.
Lawyers have now secured Mr Thomas a settlement to help with his recovery, as he battles post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I also hope that speaking out encourages other people who have suffered like I have not to battle with the problems alone,” he added.
“It takes a huge amount of courage to talk about such issues but it is absolutely vital to gain justice.”
Lawyers have helped a further 12 victims gain settlements after they were abused by Marcussen, and are still pursuing a further four cases.
Tom Fletcher, the specialist lawyer at Irwin Mitchell acting for Mr Thomas, said: “This is yet another terrible case which highlights the devastating longterm impact that historical sexual abuse can have on people.
“While nothing will change what Mark has experienced, we hope that this settlement will at least ensure he is able to move forward with his life.
“It can be incredibly difficult for those who have been sexually abused to come forward and speak out about what they have faced, but we would urge anyone affected by similar problems not to suffer in silence.”
A spokeswoman from Birmingham City Council said: “When historic allegations of this kind are brought to our attention, we will continue to assist the police in whatever way we can with their investigations and in bringing offenders to justice, and we acknowledge the findings of the court in this case.”