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Girls’ family tragedies after C of E care

On behalf of Attwaters Jameson Hill posted on Sunday, December 25th, 2016

Madeline Seibert, head of our firm's medical negligence department, is investigating possible legal action in relation to children of women who were residents in a Kent children's home run by the Church of England between the 1950s and the 1980s. The children of the women residents believe that the drugs that their mothers were given in Kendall House has caused them serious health problems. The high-profile action has already attracted national press coverage.

Madeline Seibert, head of our firm’s medical negligence department, is investigating possible legal action in relation to children of women who were residents in a Kent children’s home run by the Church of England between the 1950s and the 1980s. The children of the women residents believe that the drugs that their mothers were given in Kendall House has caused them serious health problems. The high-profile action has already attracted national press coverage.Teresa Cooper is one of a number of women formerly cared for at Kendall House in Gravesend. She is convinced that the home’s alleged over-use of tranquillisers resulted in harm to the health of her own children. Madeline believes that about two-dozen offspring have suffered and could become involved in the action.

“Those affected by the heavy use of benzodiazepines such as Valium were at Kendall House between the 1950s and ’80s,” Madeline explains. “Teresa estimates that she was tranquillised at least a thousand times while living there..

“There are instances of children or grandchildren with cleft palates, water on the brain and other birth defects that are blighting their lives, also making them vulnerable to other illnesses and to bullying at school.

“Unfortunately, some of the children have already died. Teresa’s daughter Sarah, now 23, was born with a cleft palate and has experienced other medical problems. Teresa rightly feels that the Church should help victims deal with the financial impact.”

In another case, the son of another 48-year-old Julia Murphy suffered a stroke when just three and, now aged 19, has other life-changing threats to his health. Julia spent 18 months at Kendall House in the early 1980s before being fostered. Recently her foster father expressed horror at conditions in the home and the impact of tranquilliser use.

Madeline is investigating whether the psychotropic drugs affected the young women’s reproductive systems and whether damage may be caused to eggs in their ovaries. Bangor University psychiatrist Professor David Healy has stated that US regulators,

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