Woman sexually abused as child at Bradford Sunday school in 1970s wins settlement

At the time of his first conviction, the judge described Laister as “a sexual predator of monstrous proportions.”

In 2019, then aged 77, he received a further 11-year sentence for further historical attacks on two girls, including the woman from Bradford, who were aged between eight and 12 years old at the time.

One of the victims who was abused by Laister at May Lodge children’s home in Scarborough in the 1970s told the court during his second trial he abused her “day in and day out,” adding, “I fear I may never be able to get over this.”

Lawyers acting on behalf of the woman abused at Thorpe Edge Evangelical Church say Laister and the church have agreed to pay her a combined, undisclosed out of court settlement. Neither Laister nor the church admit liability for the abuse she suffered.

The woman said: “I knew what Laister was doing was wrong and felt violated. However, I also felt that if I told anyone about what happened, they wouldn’t believe me.

“I tried to compartmentalise what happened and blank it out, but deep down it always remained with me.

“It was only reading decades later that Laister had been jailed for abusing others that I felt confident to come forward. I kept thinking I needed to act to protect others. Reporting what happened to me was nerve wracking, but it was such a relief to be heard and believed after all those years and I wished I’d done it sooner.

“Although Laister is behind bars where he belongs, I still live with the impact of his abuse. I’ve had life-long problems trusting people and forming relationships.

“Nothing can change the past, but I just want a brighter future. I hope that by speaking out it will encourage other abuse survivors to come forward and seek help. It is incredibly hard to take that step, but it can make a major difference.”

Tom Fletcher, a specialist lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, the firm which secured the settlement, said: “This is sadly yet another devastating case where a child has suffered abuse at the hands of someone in a position of trust.

“The abuse happened many years ago but the effects remain with my client. While nothing can ever make up for what she’s been through we’re pleased that we’ve been able to secure her this settlement which allow her to access specialist support.

“Thankfully, attitudes to such horrific abuse have changed and are now treated incredibly seriously by the authorities. Therefore, it’s vital that survivors of abuse, no matter how long ago, don’t suffer in silence as help and support is available.”