Settlement of Sexual Abuse Claim

Coleman Legal Partners have successfully settled the first negligence claim of its kind in relation to a woman who was severely sexually abused by two siblings while she was placed in a day-fostering arrangement by the HSE. The Plaintiff was eight years old when she spent one year in the home of a foster parent who cared for babies and infants of various ages for remuneration by the HSE.

It was claimed that the HSE State authority failed in their duty to at all material times to manage, control, administer and supervise the placement of children in inter alia day-fostering care.

The foster home, situated in the Dublin 15 area was also home to two of the foster parent’s own adult children who on occasion were in loco parentis to the plaintiff and sexually abused the plaintiff during the day when their mother was absent from the foster home and they were permitted to be in seclusion with plaintiff in the foster household. The Plaintiff and her brother attended at the Foster Home during week days from 830 am to 630pm and returned to their father each evening when their father came back from work. They had their meals and went to and from school from the Foster home and did their homework there.

The Plaintiff settled the HSE aspect of her claim for a six figure sum and is now pursuing the remaining defendants for damages for sexual assault and psychological trauma.