Woman reveals abuse by former mayor

The BBC reports how a woman has revealed her abuse as a child by a local politician. 

The woman has waived her right to anonymity to tell of the abuse she suffered at the hands of Malcolm Doling of Eastbourne, Sussex.The former mayor of Southborough, Kent, and former deputy mayor of Tunbridge Wells, was last week jailed for four years at Hove Crown Court. He was convicted of assaulting two girls, aged seven and 11 at the time.

The victims of this abuse both would have potential claims for compensation, firstly to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and secondly against their abuser personally. In relation to the second claim, much would depend on the abuser’s assets i.e. whether he had a house or sufficient assets to satisfy their claim for damages and costs. There is also the issue of limitation, which normally runs out on the Claimant’s 21st birthday for a claim of this nature, but the court has discretion to waive the time limit. See the case of A v Hoare on our website.

If the decision is made to make a claim, action should be taken immediately. Sometimes the actual process of litigation can be relatively short. See our website for an example of a similar case that we have run.