Solicitor Graduate, Abuse
TW: this article covers themes of sexual abuse
A woman in her 40s bravely came forward in 2023 to speak about the abuse she suffered as a child at First Avenue children’s home in Carlton, Nottinghamshire. Her abuser, Dean Gathercole, had been previously convicted for abusing other young girls at Amberdale, another children’s home ran by Nottinghamshire County Council at the time. We hope that she can achieve the justice she deserves and that this can encourage other potential victims to come forward, even if the sexual abuse was not recent. .
In March 2023, former Nottinghamshire Children’s Home worker Dean Gathercole was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault against the woman, who he had met when she was a child living at a children’s home in First Avenue, Carlton, Nottinghamshire. This added four more years to his existing prison sentence, as he was already serving 19 years after having been previously convicted in May 2018.
In 2018, Gathercole was found guilty of 6 counts of indecent assault and three counts of rape in relation to two girls who were aged 15 and 16. This occurred when he worked at Amberdale children’s home in Stapleford as a residential social care home worker in the 1980s. As with First Avenue children’s home, Amberdale was also operated by Nottinghamshire County Council – who are already under fire for failing to protect children.
Gathercole was named in the July 2019 Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s investigation into services in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, which concluded that there had been widespread physical violence and sexual abuse in many of the children’s homes run by Nottinghamshire County Council.
The report has since been released, which notes that the inquiry received evidence of over 350 complainants who made allegations of sexual abuse whilst in the care of Nottinghamshire Councils from the 1960s onwards, though the true scale is likely to be higher.
For a total of five decades, the Council failed in their duty to protect children from sexual abuse, and report concludes with;
“Most institutions referred to in this report failed children who were sexually abused whilst in the care of Nottinghamshire County and Nottingham City Councils, to a greater or lesser extent. These included elected members, senior managers, frontline social work and residential staff and foster carers within both of the Councils, and Nottinghamshire Police”
Though there are notable methods and efforts taken by the council to apologise and conduct investigations, sadly, with cases like these, it is often too little and too late for the victims.
If you were abused as a child under the care of any Nottinghamshire Councils, then we are here to listen.
We're rated‘Excellent’
Operation Marksman was originally launched in Spring 2019 to investigate several allegations made by 2 teenage girls in the city. Despite 34 arrests, 200 digital devices ceased, and 100,000 text messages reviewed, no charges or convictions were made.
There are two types of claim you can make for child abuse - a Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) claim or a civil claim against the defendant through the Courts. We show the amounts of compensation that can be awarded in both types of claims below.
A Child Safeguarding Policy, or Child Protection Policy, is a statement that makes it clear what an organisation or group will do to keep children or vulnerable adults safe.
Nottingham Post. (2023). One of Nottinghamshire's most notorious abusers named as Frank Beck. [Online] Available at: https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/one-nottinghamshire-most-notorious-abusers-8274604
BBC News. (2023). Abuse inquiry: One of Nottingham's most notorious abusers named. [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-65040883
ITV News Central. (2018). Former social worker found guilty of historic sex offences. [Online] Available at: https://www.itv.com/news/central/2018-05-04/former-social-worker-found-guilty-of-historic-sex-offences
Nottingham Post. (n.d.). Child Abuse Inquiry. [Online] Available at: https://www.nottinghampost.com/all-about/child-abuse-inquiry
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). (n.d.). Nottinghamshire Councils. [Online] Available at: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications/investigation/nottinghamshire-councils
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). (2022). Investigation Report: Nottinghamshire Councils. [Online] Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63175256e90e07053a194f1b/E02733227_HC_646_IICSA_Inv_Report_Combined_Volume_3_ELAY.pdf
Nottingham Post. (2023). Survivor of one of Nottinghamshire's most notorious children's home abusers speaks out. [Online] Available at: https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/survivor-nottinghamshires-most-notorious-childrens-8282562
NHS. (n.d.). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). [Online] Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/overview/
National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC). (n.d.). [Online] Available at: https://napac.org.uk/
Jacob proudly holds a First-Class law degree from Lancaster University, which he achieved in 2021. Before joining Simpson Millar, he gained experience as a Legal Assistant at another law firm, dealing predominantly with Personal Injury cases. His duties there included assisting with claimant road traffic accident cases, and public liability and employer's liability matters.
His commitment extends beyond the courtroom. At the age of 17, he was already volunteering at the Citizens Advice Bureau in Morecambe, assisting with a range of issues, from employment and benefits to consumer disputes. Recently, he was involved in a fundraising initiative for the National Association of People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC). Jacob also participated in a sponsored walk in August 2023, aiming to further contribute to this worthy cause.
Fill in the form below to get in touch with one of our dedicated team members, or call our team today on: 0808 239 1287
