A man who was sexually abused as a child by a Northwood school teacher has secured a £135,000 settlement.
Richard Gaines, who worked as a teacher at St Martin’s Preparatory School, was jailed for five years and two months in 2019 after admitting seven counts of gross indecency with a boy under 14. The offences took place in the 1970s.
Following a separate police investigation, Gaines was then charged with further offences. In May last year, he sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years.
Several survivors instructed lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to help them access specialist support to try and come to terms with the abuse.
One of the survivors, now in his 60s, has now secured a £135,000 settlement thanks to help from Irwin Mitchell.
He said that the abuse had a profound and lasting impact on his life. He described how the sheer trauma affected his education, career choices and personal relationships, which led to long-term psychological harm.
He said: “What happened to me changed everything. I went from being a confident, happy child to someone who felt ashamed, anxious and withdrawn. It affected how I saw myself, how I trusted people and the choices I made throughout my life.
“I can’t turn the clock back, but I’m thankful that I’ve got justice and what happened to me has been recognised.
“By sharing my story, I hope I can encourage other abuse survivors to come forward.”
Photo credit: @Totalcrime Facebook
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