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Adult Abuse: Get the Justice you deserve, now

Abuse of any kind can happen to anyone, no matter what their age. It is often thought that sexual abuse, for example, is something only children suffer from, but that’s not necessarily true. Adults suffer too and many continue to suffer in silence, afraid of what others might think or how their family might react if their past ordeal comes out in the open.

Anyone suffering from abuse is more than likely to suffer the long-lasting psychological effects that follow. In fact, those who choose silence often live with the trauma for the rest of their lives. As adult abuse solicitors, we know how difficult it can be to talk about harrowing episodes of physical or sexual abuse, whether they occurred recently or a few years back. Our team of friendly solicitors will speak to you in complete confidence and advise you on your options, ensuring that you get the justice and due compensation you deserve.

Our services

If you or anyone you know has been abused as an adult, know that help and compensation for the pain and suffering you or your loved one have endured, is only a phone call away.

Our compassionate solicitors specialising in adult abuse can help you start a claim in a straightforward and hassle-free manner, giving you the confidence and reassurance that you have someone on your side battling for your rights and getting you the justice you are owed.

How Adults can be Victims of Abuse

While it has been traditionally thought that children mostly are victims of abuse, this isn’t true because adults suffer too and are often abused by someone in a position of power, trust, or authority. To date, we have represented many adult victims who have suffered from both physical and sexual abuse, with some of the most common cases being:

  • Adults suffering abuse in a professional or working environment
  • Serving in HM Forces: Royal Navy; Army; and the RAF
  • Adults suffering sexual abuse in public transport, such as a taxi or Uber
  • Adults suffering sexual abuse while attending a spa or massage session
  • Care home residents suffering abuse at the hands of their carers or administrative staff
  • Adults with learning difficulties being taken advantage of
  • College and university students being abused by older students or teachers/faculty
  • Adults who suffered as a child and are still dealing with the effects
  • Patients in hospitals or medical practices/clinics
  • Adults in a physically or sexually abusive relationship

Reporting Adult Abuse and getting your Due Rights: Next Steps

If you or a loved one has recently suffered from adult abuse, then the first thing to do is to consider making a report to the police so that they can conduct a formal investigation. It is your choice whether to. The second thing to do is to speak to one of our experienced adult abuse solicitors in confidence, who can advice you as to your legal options.

We fully understand how traumatic it can be to recall the events and talk about such an experience but we’re here to provide you with the necessary support and advice, while helping you proceed with the claim in a smooth and stress-free manner.

Why use our adult abuse solicitors?

In a nutshell – we are passionate about helping you. The Hugh James adult abuse team has extensive experience and can provide a comprehensive and holistic approach to your adult abuse case. We look to the future and the past to define what you need to accomplish justice and the outcome you deserve because we care.

Many clients received compensation for sexual abuse thanks to the dedication and understanding of our team of professional adult abuse solicitors. Compensation can mean accessing the services and opportunities needed to reconstruct your life. This is why a holistic approach is essential. We need to understand you so we can do the best for you.

One of our adult abuse team members can offer you a free consultation to help you make a claim, which can be at your home, in our office, or any location you feel best – we can also talk on the phone if you prefer. Please do not feel anxious or embarrassed about discussing your adult abuse claim with us. We will handle your case with care, attention, empathy and confidentiality.

Our adult abuse allegation experts include:

Partner Alan Collins – Alan oversees our team of sexual abuse solicitors and has helped many people who have suffered abuse with compensation claims. He is one of the best-known solicitors in abuse litigation and has acted in many high-profile cases, including the Jimmy Savile and Max Clifford abuse scandals. Alan serves clients in the UK and worldwide, having worked on sexual assault claims all around the world, including in Australia, Uganda, Kenya, and California.

Kathleen Hallisey – Kathleen is an American attorney and UK solicitor. With nearly two decades of practising law, she has spent the past decade working exclusively with abuse survivors. In 2015, Kathleen brought the first successful case in the UK against the Jehovah’s Witness organisation and, since then, has become a vocal advocate for survivors of abuse in faith settings, including the nuances of spiritual abuse. She was one of two solicitors recommended by the Jesus Army redress scheme and represented over 100 survivors of the Jesus Army. She has also represented survivors in claims against private schools, football clubs, local governments, the Scout Association, and the Ministry of Defence.

Danielle Vincent – Danielle focuses on sexual harassment allegations. She also works with clients who have been abused during NHS exams, teacher abuse, and other situations. She has significant experience with claims against local authorities for failure of social services and foster abuse/children’s home abuse.

 

How we act for our clients?

We provide a confidential, tailored one-on-one service.

We listen; we do not simply hear. We let you select how best to tell us your story when you are ready.

We provide honest and transparent advice. Sometimes, we must tell you a claim is impossible, but you need to know. You have the right to understand your options.

We work for you and will only do what you want us to. We support, we do not pressure.

We are friendly, respectful, honest and confidential. If you bring a claim with us, you are at its centre, and we will advise you and aid you all the way. We will ensure that your identity is kept anonymous.

Trustpilot

Key contact

Alan Collins

Partner

Alan Collins is one of the best known and most experienced solicitors in the field of child abuse litigation and has acted in many high profile cases, including the Jimmy Savile and Haut de la Garenne abuse scandals. Alan has represented interested parties before public inquiries including the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, and IICSA (Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse).

Internationally, Alan works in Australia, South East Asia, Uganda, Kenya, and California representing clients in high profile sexual abuse cases. Alan also spoke at the Third Regional Workshop on Justice for Children in East Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok hosted by Unicef and HCCH (Hague Conference on Private International Law).

Thank you so much for fighting so hard for my family and me. We were truly broken when we first met you. The injustice that we had suffered was indescribable. When we thought the answer was no, you did not give up. You taught us all to stand up, fight and take back our self-respect. Words can never describe how grateful I am.

Client

I hope that my testimonial helps to encourage other silent victim’s to come forward because I know there must be many who aren’t aware there is help/advice. Hugh James can help them prepare any details they can remember of the abuse they suffered then present their case to the NIHIA who will make their judgement. This could result in compensation being awarded which is rightfully theirs, but most importantly they would not need to stand up in a court of law to face their abuser’s. Thank you all at Hugh James for everything you did for me.

Robert Whiteside

For anybody that has gone through what I went through, and if they are worried about speaking to solicitors, Alan and the team are the ones to go to.
I had the choice of a male or female solicitor to talk to and they approached everything the right way.
Alan was very private and had to be very careful how he contacted me. Even my family was unaware. I couldn’t receive an email or a telephone call unless I knew it was coming. Together Alan and I came up with a plan and he stuck to it.

Robert Whiteside

From the word ‘go’ Alan was the perfect type of solicitor to handle my case. The team at Hugh James was really professional whilst at the same time really easy to talk to.
Alan kept me updated all the time. I honestly believe if I had got the wrong solicitor I might not have gone through with it, because I had never spoken to anyone about it. Alan just knew how to put me at ease. He knew what he was talking about and that helps a lot.

Robert Whiteside

Alan Collins is a star – he has the expertise, ferocity and sensitivity that is particularly required for sex abuse claims.

The Legal 500

They have real expertise in child abuse claims and other civil damages/human rights act damages claims.

The Legal 500

Your questions answered

Sexual abuse includes any form of unwanted touching, as well as name calling or internet contact, or using sex as a way of causing pain or humiliation. It can be a one-off occurrence or carry on over a period of time. It might have happened earlier in your life or still be happening now. If you have suffered sexual abuse, or you suspect someone else is being sexually abused, you should report it to the police, even if it was a long time ago.

In England and Wales, you have the right to remain anonymous throughout the prosecution and compensation process. If your case looks like going to court, you’ll still have a chance to reconsider. If you want, we can arrange for you to give evidence by video link. However, it’s worth noting most sexual abuse claims are settled out of court.

Yes, you can still apply for compensation under the government’s criminal injuries compensation scheme. When we advise you initially, we can tell you whether this would be relevant to your case.

Institutions such as hospitals, care homes, schools and the church have a duty of care to make sure you are protected.

If you were sexually abused by someone in a leadership role it is likely that the organisation would be liable but each case is different and so we have to examine the evidence very carefully to ensure that there is a liability.

It may be that the case has to be brought against the individual abuser, but much will depend on the evidence and circumstances of the sexual abuse. If there has been a conviction against the individual, that is likely to assist the case. In the absence of a conviction, we have to look for evidence that supports the case because we have to prove the allegations. Not all cases go to court many are resolved or settled, but we always have to be mindful that we have to prove the allegations, and that is where our expertise comes in.

Many institutions are insured and so the claim may be handled on its behalf by the insurers. This will depend very much on the circumstances of your case.

The time limit for making a compensation claim is usually two years from the date the abuse took place. However, as these compensation claims are often sensitive, these times limits can often be extended, especially if there has been a recent police or other investigation. We can advise you on this.

There are different time limits, or limitation periods, for bringing a claim for compensation for sexual abuse suffered in childhood. Ordinarily, the time limit is three years from the survivor’s 18th birthday; so the claim should be brought before they reach the age of 21. Many if not the majority of claims are brought outside this time limit.

If the survivor is outside of the time limit for bringing a claim, it is possible to ask the court to waive the time limit or to extend it. Each request to waive the time limit is decided on a case-by-case basis. However, the courts are fully aware of the difficulties that survivors of sexual abuse have in disclosing abuse due to the trauma they suffered.

We can represent you on a no win, no fee basis, so there’s no worry about having to pay. We’ll explain in detail how it works.

We’ll do only what you ask us to do – you’re always in control and can stop the process at any point.

Related services

Sexual Abuse Claims and Compensation Elder Abuse Claims

Next steps

We’re here to get things moving. Drop a message to one of our experts and we’ll get straight back to you.

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