Bradford abuse victim ‘insulted’ by police compensation response

A woman who was sexually abused by a group of men as a child said she felt insulted after her claims for compensation were rejected.

Fiona Goddard was 14 and living in a children’s home in Bradford when the care and abuse began in the late 2000s.

Goddard, who waived his right to anonymity, said it was “truly humiliating” to see “another level of dismissal” after making a legal claim against West Yorkshire Police and Bradford Council.

West Yorkshire Police and Bradford Council said they were unable to comment on the ongoing legal matter.

He was jailed at Bradford Crown Court in February 2019 after nine men were convicted of sexual offenses against him.

The hearing heard that while he was a missing child in local authority care, he was found by police at the home of a man in his 40s on more than one occasion.

A safeguarding review said his mother raised concerns about child sexual exploitation (CSE) in 2008 and there was evidence that Goddard had been in contact with adult males, but “this was not taken into account by the police or children’s social care”.

The report stated that Goddard went missing “almost every day” and that these incidents were rated as “unauthorized absences”, which resulted in a lower police response rating compared to a “missing” rating.

In a letter to his lawyer, West Yorkshire Police said: “Allegations of negligence, abuse and conspiracy to cause injury are, respectfully, completely unfounded.”

Goddard told the BBC he felt it was an attempt to put the blame on himself.

“Publicly to the media they admit they failed, they admit they did wrong, but privately they try to enlighten me,” he said.

“Not only West Yorkshire Police but also Bradford Council have denied responsibility but have still made public statements saying there were major failings and have apologized to me.”

Goddard said he decided to speak to the BBC about his case because other victims were worried about being criticized for seeking compensation.

“A lot of people don’t want to talk about it, but I don’t care anymore because I’ve lost so much,” he explained.

“I did well at school, I should have had a career, but instead I spent many years fighting and going through a five-year investigation to prove that I had been abused.

“No matter how much compensation I get, it will never be enough to give back everything I’ve lost, so I’m more than happy to talk about it for people who are still afraid.”

Amy Clowrey, one of Switalski’s lawyers, told the BBC she was surprised by West Yorkshire Police’s response.

“They acknowledged that Fiona had been abused but actually said they were not responsible for it at all,” he said.

“The authorities publicly apologized for their failures, but privately they clearly took a different approach.

“But it’s pretty standard in cases like this for authorities to not admit they did anything wrong.”

Clowrey said the handling of survivors’ compensation claims by authorities could cause further distress and needed to change.

“One of the biggest things that came out [Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse] “Survivors need real apologies,” he said.

“It helps with the healing process and their recovery, and we still don’t see that in the litigation space, it’s still quite contentious.

“I would like to see a lot more openness, transparency and apology.”

Goddard and other abuse victims abandoning their roles In the government’s investigation into grooming gangs in October.

They were due to sit on the inquiry’s victims and survivors liaison panel, but expressed concerns about his suitability to chair the inquiry, arguing that shortlisted candidates should not have a background in policing or social work.

Goddard said at the time that these services were “a major contributor to the national cover-up of mass rape and child trafficking.”

Former children’s commissioner Baroness Anne Longfield announced as president In December.