A group of women who made alegations of sexual assault whilst resident at a Coventry Children's home launching a £1 million lawsuit against the city council.
The 12 women, now in their early forties, claim the council was negligent in its duty of care to them.Two were raped and the others indecently assaulted by the manager of the home, Kevin Donaldson, who is serving 15 years for his crimes. They are to sue the council for up to £75,000 each. If they are successful and awarded costs the bill will sky-rocket to more than £1million.
The nub of their case is that the council should have been aware of Donaldson's conduct and acted upon it because complaints had been made against him.
Daphne Young, now living in Cambridge, is one of the women seeking damages for abuse at Newfield House, the former children's home in Kingfield Road, Foleshill. She has waived her right to anonymity to highlight the issues raised. Last July, Ms Young, aged 42, was one of six witnesses in the trial against Donaldson. She told a jury how she was indecently assaulted at the age of 14, while another witness, who grew up in Bell Green, Coventry, told how she was raped.
A jury found Donaldson, aged 62, guilty of two rapes and nine counts of indecent assault when he worked at the home between 1977 and 1982. Newfield House closed as a children's home shortly after he left.
He was cleared of two other charges of rape, three indecent assaults and one count of gross indecency and is waiting to hear whether he has permission to appeal against his sentence.
Acknowledgement: IC Coventry