Sammy Woodhouse, 31, was abused by Rotherham sex gang ringleader Arshid Hussain
A survivor of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham has described her shock at being turned down for full compensation for what she suffered because authorities deemed she had consented to the abuse.
Sammy Woodhouse, who waived her entitlement to lifelong anonymity so she can campaign against sexual exploitation, said the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA)’s letter concluded: ‘I am not satisfied that you were a victim of sexual activity to which you did not in fact consent.’
This conclusion was reached despite Ms Woodhouse’s abuser being convicted and sentenced to a substantial prison sentence.
She was just 14 when she fell under the spell of 24-year-old abuser Arshid Hussain and suffered years of appalling treatment.
She became pregnant by him and had an abortion, and later gave birth to his son at 15 despite being under the protection of social services.
Miss Woodhouse, who now campaigns for abuse victims after waiving her right to anonymity, was told in a letter from CICA she would receive £11,000 for a single rape but nothing for the other sexual abuse.
Her claim for five years of ‘intimidation, threats and harassment’ was rejected outright due to ‘insufficient evidence’. The letter reveals the apparent continuing refusal by officials to treat people such as Miss Woodhouse as genuine and deserving victims.
She told the BBC’s Inside Out programme: ‘We keep hearing a lot of ‘we’ve learnt lessons’.
‘If any adult can privately think that it’s a child’s fault for being abused, beaten, raped, abducted, I think you’re in the wrong job.’
Miss Woodhouse, 32, a single mother-of-two who still lives in Rotherham, challenged the decision with the help of a solicitor and was eventually given an undisclosed sum, said to be the maximum amount she qualified for.
Hussain got away with his brutal crimes until 2013 when newspaper revelations about her ordeal led to a fresh police inquiry.
Along with his two brothers, he was successfully prosecuted. He was jailed for 35 years in February last year after being convicted of 23 offences of indecent assault and rape.
Happy childhood: Before the abuse, she dreamed of being a dancer. Pictured above aged 10
Stolen innocence: Sammy was pregnant at age 14, pictured above aged 15 at a family wedding, and would still see her abuser until she gave birth
Miss Woodhouse had to relive her ordeal again as part of the compensation claim process and discovered attitudes had not changed enough since Professor Alexis Jay estimated 1,400 girls had been abused by predominantly Asian men in Rotherham as the police and council turned a blind eye.
Underage children cannot legally consent to sex, yet the letter from the CICA dismissed her compensation claim for sexual abuse.
She was told: ‘I am not satisfied that your consent was falsely given as a result of being groomed by the offender.
‘The evidence does not indicate that you were manipulated or progressively lured into a false relationship. The offender did not conceal any aspects of his life to you, and for this reason, I am satisfied you chose to enter the relationship willingly and knowing the true character of the offender.’
It concluded: ‘It appears you exercised your autonomous choice to engage in sexual activity with the offender.’
Sammy, pictured aged 19 above, has previously used the pseudonym of Jessica to speak about what happened to her
Ms Woodhouse’s solicitor, David Greenwood, told the programme how Miss Woodhouse was raped from the age of 14 and made pregnant by her abuser.
He said he was ‘utterly shocked by the notion that decision-makers in a government organisation can consider that 14 and 15-year-old girls can consent to sex with an adult.’
Mr Greenwood said Miss Woodhouse’s case is not the only one of its type he has come across.
He said he has seen ‘not high numbers, but significant numbers’ of claims rejected on the grounds of consent.
Now the CICA says it is reviewing its guidance.
A CICA spokeswoman said: ‘Child sexual abuse is abhorrent. Our guidelines are designed to make sure that controlling and abusive behaviour is taken into account when handling compensation applications.
‘We want to be sure that we never get these decisions wrong. That’s why we are reviewing our staff guidance to make sure that we identify every instance where grooming could be a factor.
‘We are actively engaging victim support groups and relevant charities to make sure the revised guidance is as robust as it possibly can be.’
Ms Woodhouse’s story is featured on BBC One’s Inside Out programme, which can be seen in Yorkshire & Lincolnshire on Monday at 7.30pm, and available generally on the BBC iPlayer.
JUST ONE OF THE 1,400 GIRLS FAILED BY THE AUTHORITIES
Arshid Hussain is now disabled after he was shot in the stomach
Sammy Woodhouse’s abuser Arshid Hussain was part of a notorious criminal family in Rotherham.
Once under the control of the three brothers, who believed they ‘ruled the town’, youngsters were raped, beaten and forced into prostitution.
Yet little was done to protect young girls from the three brothers, and the abusers believed they were above the law.
The Hussains’ victims were some of the more than 1,000 who were betrayed by the authorities in Rotherham, who ignored their plight for years.
Rotherham council was declared ‘not fit for purpose’ in 2015 over its handling of child sexual exploitation.
This appalling failure by agencies was exposed in a damning report published by Professor Alexis Jay in August 2014.
She estimated a staggering 1,400 girls were abused in Rotherham by men of predominantly Pakistani heritage during a 16-year period to 2013.
Council officials, who feared being charged with racism, were accused of suppressing evidence to avoid causing damage to ‘community cohesion’.
Police treated victims with contempt, turned a blind eye to their plight, and often held them responsible rather than the older male rapists.
Social workers also failed hopelessly to protect victims, and in Sammy Woodhouse’s case they believed little could be done.
Even when she twice became pregnant by Arshid, the authorities failed to act because she consented and refused to lodge a complaint.
Her case typified the failure of agencies. It wasn’t until last year that Arshid was punished for his crimes, as he was sentenced to 35 years for 23 offences including indecent assault and rape involving nine victims.
His two brothers, Basharat and Bannaras, were jailed for 25 and 19 years respectively for horrific child sex crimes on girls as young as 11.
The brothers’ uncle, Qurban Ali, was found guilty of conspiracy to rape.
Shameless Arshid, who is now severely disabled after he was shot in the stomach in 2005, had even asked about how to expand his family using IVF fertility treatment with his wife Fatima.