Victims can now sue Lambeth Council, regardless of time passed, after scrapping the old rule. 100s of cases could arise.
The Shirley Oaks Survivors Association (SOSA) pushed for this change. They represent abuse victims from Lambeth’s children’s homes. The abuse occurred from the 1950s to the 1980s. Lambeth used the time bar to defend civil cases.
SOSA says this helps victims, including those from Melting Pot homes. These homes housed black children in Brixton. Andrea Rhoden-Burke was abused there at age 13. Lambeth Council placed her in the Melting Pot home.
She described the abuse as horrific from staff members. An inquiry found at least 80 children were placed there. Lambeth Council claimed they did not run Melting Pot. This meant they were not covered by the Redress Scheme.
Evidence now shows Lambeth Council funded the Melting Pot homes. Survivors were blocked from suing due to the old time bar rule. Lawyer Imran Khan KC is preparing civil claims against the council. He says Melting Pot residents deserve justice.
Marina Narayan, 58, will also sue the Metropolitan police. A police officer abused her when she lived in Lambeth’s care. Detective Sergeant John Hudson abused her from age six. He and his wife fostered her in 1966.
She reported the abuse in 1979, but the police did not investigate. Hudson’s wife was later jailed for covering it all up. Khan filed a claim in August 2023, but it was denied. The police cited the length of time since the abuse.
Marina plans to pursue a civil case now. She feels finally listened to after all this time. The Met stated they engaged with SOSA and reviewed their report. They referred it to the IOPC, who did not investigate further.
Lambeth Council supports the new reforms. They established a Redress Scheme back in 2018. Over 2,240 survivors applied to the Scheme. The council has already paid over £100 million in compensation.
Lambeth also called for a national redress scheme. They hope the government will act on this proposal soon.