Cases

Lillie & Reed v Newcastle City Council & Others (No.2)

Facts

The claimants were qualified nursery workers at a day nursery. In 1995 Newcastle City Council commissioned a report into allegations of child abuse at the nursery. The report was written and published to the council by its authors (“the Review Team”) in November 1998. On 12 November 1998 the council held a sub-committee meeting where the report was presented to members of the sub-committee, the press and the public. It concluded that the claimants were guilty of sexually, physically and emotionally abusing children in their care both inside and outside the nursery, sometimes acting alone and sometimes involving other people. The claimants were given no forewarning about the publication. The conclusions were widely reported in the local and national press and the claimants were forced to flee from their homes, go into hiding and change their names. The claimants sued the Council, the Review Team and a local newspaper for libel (which settled during the trial.)

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