A 21-year-old woman who fled an abusive partner received compensation from her women’s refuge after Stephen Russell, a male staff member, repeatedly sexually assaulted her over the course of several months in 2015.
Russell had access to all areas of the building as well as private information about the women staying at the refuge, which is operated by Shropshire Domestic Violence and managed by Connexus. He would enter her room under the guise of performing maintenance and sexually assault her. If she complained, he would use the information he had on her, she was threatened.
Russell was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in March 2019 after pleading guilty to attempted rape and sexual assault. The woman then filed a lawsuit against the shelter, alleging that they had employed her assailant and placed him in a position of authority when she was defenceless.
Richard Scorer, the head of abuse at Slater and Gordon, stated that the woman’s experience was “horrific” and that the firm had to pay damages as a result. He added that his client desired for the broader lessons of this case to be learned so that similar tragedies could be avoided in the future.
Connexus stated in response to the case that it has implemented stringent safeguarding measures, such as ensuring that no men are employed in any of its domestic abuse services for women. Richard Scorer also commented on how, over time, the expectation that women’s refuges should be exclusively for women has diminished.
The BBC spoke with Richard Scorer, the victim’s attorney, who stated: “Clearly, it was a perilous circumstance. She was placed in an extremely vulnerable and perilous circumstance. It was unacceptable in every way.”
A 21-year-old woman who fled an abusive partner was awarded compensation after being sexually assaulted repeatedly by a male staff member while living in a women’s refuge.
Stephen Russell had access to all areas of the building as well as private information about the other women staying at the refuge, which was formerly operated by Shropshire Domestic Violence and is now managed by Connexus. He would enter her room under the guise of performing maintenance and sexually assault her. If she complained, he would use the information he had on her, she was threatened.
Russell was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in March 2019 after pleading guilty to attempted rape and sexual assault. The woman then filed a lawsuit against the shelter, alleging that they had employed her assailant and placed him in a position of authority when she was defenceless.
Richard Scorer, the head of abuse at Slater and Gordon, stated that the woman’s experience was “horrific” and that the firm had to pay damages as a result. He added that his client desired for the broader lessons of this case to be learned so that similar tragedies could be avoided in the future.
Connexus responded to the case by stating that it has implemented stringent safeguarding measures, such as ensuring that no men are employed in any of its services for women who have experienced domestic violence. Richard Scorer also commented on how, over time, the expectation that women’s refuges should be exclusively for women has diminished.
This terrifying incident serves as a reminder of the significance of safety and security measures in vulnerable settings, such as women’s shelters. Connexus has taken measures to ensure robust safeguarding measures are in place to prevent recurrence of similar incidents, but it is imperative that all organisations take similar measures to ensure their workplaces are safe for all employees and visitors.
