Teenage victim of sex abuse instructs lawyers after alleging council failed to protect him

Law firm Leigh Day has been instructed to bring a claim against Swindon Borough Council, after a teenager alleged the council failed to protect him from sexual abuse.

Leigh Day said legal action will be brought against the local authority, alleging that it failed to protect the teenager from abuse by teaching assistant Sam Powers, who took PE classes at the school he attended.

Powers, 28, was jailed for 20 years after he was found guilty of the rape of a child following a trial at Gloucester Crown Court in June this year. He also admitted 44 counts of sexually abusing children.

Representing the client, sexual abuse claims lawyer Dino Nocivelli noted that the teenager felt he was “let down badly” by the council, who should have protected him from “calculated and callous abuse”.

According to the BBC, the council said it had apologised to the victim and his family for any “shortcomings” in its processes and procedures.

It said it had made changes to the way it deals with complaints and requests for information.

Powers was known to have abused 17 children, but there are thought to be more victims who did not come forward.

The BBC reported that at sentencing, Judge Rupert Lowe said Powers had "picked on vulnerable boys that he instinctively knew would be easy to manipulate".

Dino Nocivelli said: “My client was only able to persuade the authorities in Wiltshire to take him seriously after he contacted Child Exploitation and Online Protection. He believes he was let down badly by Swindon Borough Council who should have protected him from calculated and callous abuse by Sam Powers to feed his sexual obsession with teenage boys.

“A public apology by Swindon Council and an admission of its failings is not enough to make up for the lifelong consequences of abuse by someone who my client and several others felt they could trust.”

A spokesperson for Swindon Borough Council said: "We do not agree with the allegation that we failed to properly safeguard children. We are unable to comment further in respect of  any potential on-going legal matters."

Lottie Winson