I was groomed by a paedophile ring while I was in care and no one helped me now I've been given compensation

A woman who was sexually abused by a grooming gang over a period of five years while living in a children’s home has bravely waived her right to anonymity in the hope speaking out will help others.

Josie Clark, now 32, from Accrington, is using her voice as a platform to urge other sexually abused survivors not to suffer in silence.

She believes she was failed by authority figures who had a duty to protect her and was subjected to a period of abuse from the age of 10 to 15 when she lived at a children’s home in Blackburn.

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Sign up for our free newsletters now She says she was driven around by groups, forced to have sexual encounters with multiple men in a night and was drugged and piled with alcohol regularly.

As time passed and the abuse she was suffering became more violent, Josie found the courage to speak out and discussed her experiences with staff at the care home.

A police investigation was then launched, leading to convictions being secured many years later.

In August 2007, the abusers, who were mostly Asian men, were convicted and, in May 2011, deported to Pakistan. 

Josie was aged 15 at the time of the conviction. She said: “I grew up in care and was abused and no one helped me. The local authority had a duty to protect me and I believe it failed. I felt like nobody cared about me.

"I could come and go from the home as I wanted and nobody bothered to try and stop me. I would be beaten and abused, and afterwards I would be punished by being locked out of my room."

She was placed into the care of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council as a young girl.  She had spent time at a number of different establishments, including Whalley New Road Children’s Home. 

She was a known vulnerable child and had already suffered sexual abuse but was, sadly, not believed.

Her legal team at Irwin Mitchell and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council agreed an undisclosed out of court settlement. 

The local authority did not admit liability.

Jemma Small, a specialist lawyer at Irwin Mitchell said: “This is sadly yet another devastating case where a vulnerable child has suffered unimaginable abuse.

“While it’s many years since the abuse, it still affects Josie to this day.  No amount of money will ever make up for the trauma she’s been through, but we’re pleased to have been able to secure her this settlement which will allow her to access the specialist support she requires as she attempts to move forward with her life.

“We also applaud Josie’s bravery in sharing her experiences in an aim of helping others.”

Josie, who now struggles to leave the house - venturing out mostly at night with her two-year-old dog Buddy, added: “It’s taken a long time and a lot of courage to be able to speak out on what I went through.

“I suffer with major anxiety and have been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.

“My dream is to become a dog trainer but I struggle as I barely leave the house and when I do it’s at night.

“I’ve always struggled with my mental health but I didn’t feel like there were any efforts to support me when I was in care. It’s only now that people are listening to me.

“I’ve never received an apology from the council, which upsets me.

“I’ll always live with the impact of the abuse but I feel that I can finally move on.

“I just hope that by speaking out I can encourage others to do the same.”

Councillor Julie Gunn, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “It’s always brave to speak out about abuse.

“This is a historical case and it’s important to acknowledge the long-term impact of abuse. There are strict legal rules around sharing information about individual cases however we can speak direct to people involved and this will happen.

“Safeguarding is taken very seriously, and we have prioritised tackling child sexual exploitation to protect young people at risk of harm. Tough action is taken to deal with offenders and lots of support is available for those who are vulnerable or have been affected.”

“Anybody who wants to access confidential support or who is worried about a child should speak to Children’s Social Care at the Council, Police or Childline.”