UK Child Abuse Victims Sue Catholic Church

Herald Sun
January 25, 2016

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/uk-child-abuse-victims-sue-catholic-church/news-story/aea14275f31af169951b0b8ae82db899

Survivors of child abuse within the Catholic Church in Britain are taking their former diocese to court after allegations of an institutional cover-up going back decades.

The claims - dating back to the 1950s and featuring pupils at a church school in the northwest of England - mirror those in the film Spotlight, tipped for Oscars success for its depiction of similar allegations in the Catholic Church in Boston, US, in the 1980s.

Lawyers acting on behalf of the British victims, who were aged between 11 and 15 at the time of the abuse, said they hope the positivity Spotlight's release met with will help give other victims the strength to come forward.

Thomas Beale, representing victims with London-based child abuse lawyers AO Advocates, said there were "significant" similarities between Spotlight and the allegations of abuse at St Bede's Catholic school in Manchester decades ago.

He said: "In our clients' case, knowing there are other people suffering in the same way gave them strength to come forward. I hope the film only adds to that. The church is not dealing with this in the way it says it will.