Total of 135 people make compensation claims over care home abuse
Total of 135 people make compensation claims over care home abuse
Abuse allegations spark legal action and long-term consequences
Total of 135 people make compensation - A recent expert analysis of abuse incidents at a local authority-run children’s home found that every child placed there faced a high risk of serious harm, according to a BBC probe. The findings reveal 135 individuals have pursued compensation over claims of physical or sexual abuse at Skircoat Lodge in Halifax, West Yorkshire, with 14 cases resolved so far.
The 190-page report, initially withheld from public view, was compiled by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) at the request of Calderdale Council. It exposed a pattern of neglect and abuse, including accounts of inappropriate physical contact and sexual misconduct. The author of the report noted that staff members’ positive remarks about the facility suggested a shared complicity in the abusive environment.
Former manager receives absolute discharge after 2025 trial
Malcolm Phillips, 93, the home’s former manager, was given an absolute discharge at Bradford Crown Court in 2025. He was deemed unfit to stand trial, leading to a trial of facts where he was found responsible for multiple instances of sexual abuse. A sexual harm prevention order was also imposed on him. The judge stated that the court had no option but to grant the discharge, citing the psychological toll of the legal process itself as sufficient punishment.
Phillips, who oversaw the home from its opening in 1976 until his suspension in 1994, had already faced a 2001 conviction for abusing eight girls. His recent trial confirmed he sexually assaulted six children over three decades. Linda Brunning, 67, his former assistant, was convicted in 2025 of indecent assault and aiding Phillips’ abuse. She had stood trial, while Phillips was cleared due to his age and health condition.
Victims recount harrowing experiences
"I was a child and vulnerable. He abused so many on a daily basis," said Kelly Lees, who was sexually assaulted by Phillips as a teenager in the 1990s. She waived her anonymity, expressing frustration that Phillips did not receive a prison sentence. "I feel sad that I've had to fight for so many years, I'm angry because I haven't had a proper childhood."
Angela Radford, another survivor, shared her anger after Phillips’ sentencing. "I've waited 50 years for him to be given an absolute discharge. I've served the time, not him," she said. Survivors of physical abuse also described the trauma of their experiences. Graham Hawkins, who entered the home at 14 shortly after its 1976 opening, recalled the fear of returning.
"You feared going home from school because you feared the physical assaults, the beatings," Hawkins said. "Not only did Phillips hit you, he'd knee you and, when you went down, I found it easier to curl up, take what was coming and he wouldn't stop until you either cried or he got fed up."
Hawkins recounted being dragged from a moving car by his social worker to return to the home. "When I got back, Phillips slammed me against the office door and started hitting me so I did my favourite thing; curled up, took it and waited until he finished," he explained. Decades later, he continues to grapple with the aftermath of his abuse, struggling with mental health and sleep deprivation.
The BBC’s investigation highlights a legacy of suffering, with victims from the 1980s and 1990s still speaking out about the impact of their time at Skircoat Lodge. The report underscores a system where abuse was not only tolerated but also normalized, leaving lasting scars on those affected.