In The Scout Association v Timothy Edmeades, James Weston, instructed by BLM, represented the Claimant, who had in 2017 settled a claim made by AH for abuse. AH alleged that in 1995 he had been sexually assaulted by the assistant leader of his group, Timothy Edmeades, for whom the Scouts were vicariously liable.
The Scouts then brought contribution proceedings against the Defendant, who had not been convicted of the assaults and continued to deny the historic allegations at trial. Despite the absence of any live evidence from the complainant, the court was persuaded that the abuse took place as alleged and awarded the Scouts the damages and costs paid to AH, as well as the Scouts costs of defending the primary claim.
The judgment of HHJ Petts, which was handed down on 17 January 2020, will be helpful for organisations seeking full indemnities for damages and all costs from abusers in the future. For further details please contact jweston@7br.co.uk.
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