Summary: Ms X complains about the Council’s actions following her disclosure of abuse to her school more than ten years ago. We propose to discontinue the investigation as we do not feel we will be able to reach a meaningful conclusion.

The complaint

1. The complainant, who I refer to here as Ms X, made a disclosure to her school in 2010 concerning abuse that had occurred some years previously. Ms X complains that the Council offered her insufficient support and failed to follow correct procedures. She says she has suffered mental trauma as a result and seeks compensation to fund private therapy for this.

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What I have investigated

2. I have decided to discontinue my investigation.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint. I refer to this as ‘injustice’. If there has been fault which has caused an injustice, we may suggest a remedy. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26(1) and 26A(1), as amended)
4. If we are satisfied with a council’s actions or proposed actions, we can complete our investigation and issue a decision statement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 30(1B) and 34H(i), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

5. I spoke to Ms X and considered information provided by herself and by the Council. I have shared this draft statement with her and with the Council and will consider any comments they choose to make before finalising my decision.

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What I found

6. In 2010 Ms X told her school that she had suffered sexual abuse several years earlier. The school reported the matter to the police, who interviewed the suspect and released him without charge.
7. Ms X says the Council closed the matter down too quickly and did not follow the correct safeguarding procedures. She states that it also failed to arrange for her to receive a medical examination and appropriate tests and failed to offer her support. She says that the Council’s faults have caused her serious mental health issues. She seeks compensation in the form of funding for private therapy.

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Analysis

8. I am not confident of being able to reach a fair or meaningful decision on this complaint given the time that has passed since the Council’s actions. There is likely to be limited evidence available and we are not trained or resourced to investigate historic matters.
9. Standards and procedures governing councils’ responses to abuse allegations have also changed in the last decade. I would therefore have difficulty deciding whether there was maladministration. I have decided to discontinue the investigation.

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Final decision

10. I have decided to discontinue my investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman