Former pupils settle legal cases for alleged child sexual abuse by teachers at Horris Hill School 

The survivors reported abuse when they were between the ages of eight and 13 while pupils at the independent day and boarding preparatory school in Hampshire. 

The former pupils turned to law firm Leigh Day to investigate their claims. With the alleged abusers having  since died, and without criminal convictions and one having been acquitted, it was difficult to prove that abuse had taken place.   

Dino Nocivelli, abuse claims partner who represented the former pupils, conducted significant research and following a call for evidence he was able to speak to numerous witnesses who alleged similar abuse at the school. The number of witnesses was much larger than those who had been involved in the previous criminal trial against one of the abusers. This information strengthened the view that a fair civil trial was still possible despite the alleged abusers being dead, and that the legal team would be able to prove that the clients had been abused as alleged. 

Following a period of discussions with the defendant’s legal team, Dino was able to enter into settlement agreements which included compensation for the psychiatric injuries former pupils had suffered alongside the need for some to obtain psychological therapy, and to account for their reduced earning capacity due to the abuse they had suffered.  

The cases settled without confidentiality clauses or non-disclosure orders, but the clients have chosen to retain their anonymity. 

The survivors have received written apologies from the Horris Hill Foundation, a charity which ran the school when the survivors were pupils there, for the abuse they described happening at the school. The resolution of their cases, especially after one of the abusers had been found not guilty previously, has brought an element of justice and closure to them. 

Dino Nocivelli said: 

“The settlement of these cases is a positive conclusion for my clients. The disclosures of a significant number of former pupils of abuse at the school indicates that if these former teachers were still alive, that they would have been facing formidable criminal cases for childhood sexual abuse.  My clients want these settlements to shine a light on not only the abuse that took place at Horris Hill School, but also at boarding schools across the country. They hope that their pursuit of this case will encourage others who have suffered abuse to know that they are not alone and that justice will prevail.”