A survivor of historical child abuse has been awarded £750,000 in compensation after seeking the advice of Switalskis' nationally recognised child abuse compensation team.

Abuse against children remains a national problem in England and Wales, with more historical cases coming to light and staggering data about the prominence of child sexual exploitation (CSE) and abuse across the country. Estimates from the 2020 Crime Survey for England and Wales indicate that as many as 3.1 million adults may have experienced sexual abuse by the time they turn 16, while a total of 8.5 million adults may have experienced some type of child abuse (including domestic violence, emotional and physical abuse alongside sexual abuse) before they reach adulthood. A further 2021 report by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse suggests that this could mean as many as one in six girls and one in 20 boys have been sexually exploited or abused before the age of 16.

Switalskis Solicitors has welcomed the decision by South Yorkshire Police (SYP) to transfer its investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse, corruption, and the facilitation of abuse by former officers to the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Switalskis child abuse compensation team has been working with survivors of the Rotherham grooming scandal for over a decade. During that time, our solicitors have repeatedly heard allegations not only of abuse by local gangs but also by South Yorkshire Police officers.