A woman whose abusive stepfather made her pregnant as a teenager is suing her former school over failing to spot signs.
Kim Fawcett’s stepfather was jailed for six years in 2004 after being convicted of indecent assault, sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 and another sexual assault charge at Chester Crown Court. He only served two years of his sentence
Human right lawyer Ms Fawcett said Ellesmere College in Shropshire failed to “keep me safe” and she now has plans to take it to the High Court. A review by the college said there is nothing to support her claim. She has even set up a Survivors of Abuse and Sexual Violence in Bristol, the group is now supporting more than 400 men and women struggling with the effects of abuse.
Ms Fawcett said the school had “explicit knowledge” she had received from her stepfather and knew about the self-harming she carried out; the school failed to contact social services. Ms Fawcett said if social services were aware the abuse could have stopped in 2002 instead of 2003.
In that year, she was raped, contracted a sexually-transmitted infection and became pregnant by Robert Stuart McClelland – who told her to have an abortion.
Ms Fawcett said: ” “I just wanted them to say sorry for failing me. I feel so let down as that young girl.
“If that had happened then I wouldn’t have done any of this. It is regrettable the matter has made it to this stage.
“They were aware of the text messages, absences and concerns, and over self-harming, but no referrals were made to social services regarding McClelland.
“If they did, the abuse would have stopped. I just wanted them to say sorry for failing me. I feel absolutely determined that this should never happen again.
She initially wrote to the school in 2017 informally outlining her claims.
The college’s head master, Brendan Wignall, said “The school was completely unaware of what had been happening to her, but gave her its full support once the matter came to light.
“We are very sorry she feels the school let her down but having conducted a thorough review of our files we can genuinely find nothing to support her claim, and therefore have no option but to resist it.”
