Police and council agree payouts for victims of child sexual exploitation

Victims of the Rotherham child sexual exploitation abuse scandal have started to receive compensation jointly from South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.

The Yorkshire Post has reported that law firm Switalskis Solicitors, acting for 75 people, has confirmed that the first wave of payments have been agreed for civil claims brought over failures by police and the council to protect those involved.

Switalskis would not confirm the number or size of the awards but the newspaper said they were thought to run into “five to six figures”.

A 2014 report by Professor Alexis Jay identified failings by both the police and the council in relation to victims.

David Greenwood, head of the child abuse department at Switalskis, told the Yorkshire Post: “My team of lawyers has been working constructively with lawyers for Rotherham Council and South Yorkshire Police. In a small number of cases so far compensation has been paid. “The hope is that settlements will be reached in all cases without the need for formal court proceedings. We continue to analyse the action or inaction of the council and police”

A Rotherham statement said: “A number of claims relating to child sexual exploitation have been received and several of these have now been settled, alongside South Yorkshire Police.

"As the authority is still in the process of dealing with outstanding claims it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”

Mark Smulian