Shirley Oaks: Victims of one of Britain’s worst child abuse scandals urged to come forward before deadline

Victims of one of Britain’s worst child abuse scandals have been awarded a record £144m compensation scheme.

Former residents of Shirley Oaks Children’s Home are eligible, but some could lose payments of tens of thousands of pounds each when the scheme ends in a few weeks. Before 1980, hundreds were physically, sexually and racially abused by pedophile employees for decades.

So far, 2,240 victims have received more than £100 million from Lambeth Council, which ran the home in Croydon, south London. But a survivor at the forefront of the battle for compensation accused the council of forcing around 150 people to accept offers.

Raymond Stevenson said they included a blind man whose case was closed because he did not see the letters. And Russell Specterman, whose sister Sarah died in the house at the age of 11 months, is also fighting for justice. She was found hanging from a harness that staff had used to tie her to an upper bunk in 1975.

Russell, 57, said: “Lambeth Council threatened to close my case because I would not accept their offer for the 15 years of abuse I experienced in their care homes. Also, I will not accept their offer until they take care of fixing my sister who died because of them.”

A man, now 57, who was abused in the 1970s, said the council branded him “retarded” and threatened to throw his case out of court. And one woman, 61, who was raped at 14, said of a council-appointed psychiatrist: “He said I’d be over it in six months.”

Mr Stevenson added: “Lambeth Council’s attempt to sweep the abuse under the carpet has failed as there is a growing list of individuals preparing a class action.” Lambeth said the scheme was open for four years until January 2022 and 94 per cent of cases had been resolved.

A spokesman said: “As two years have passed since the closure, we are writing to people who did not take up or contest their compensation offers, reminding them of their options. These letters also let people know that their application will be closed if they don’t respond.”

Of the £144m, around £100m went to victims, while lawyers received £23.7m and the rest was spent on administrative, medical and other expenses.