Teresa Cooper is a British author, speaker, and children's rights campaigner against family injustice and child abuse.
Activism edit
Cooper is known for her eighteen-year campaign fighting for the justice and exposure of one of the most horrific abuses against children in Local Authority and Church of England's care. She was one of the girls drugged, sexually abused and imprisoned in a small room for over 163 days while in care at the Kendall House children's home in Gravesend, Kent, in the 1970s and 1980s. The Kendall House records indicate daily administration of drugs in overdose form, both orally and by intra-muscular injections; sexual infections while incarcerated in the small room inside Kendall House, a large extensive list of psychotropic drugs and drugs for Parkinson's disease—all administered by force. Cooper's Kendall House records also include placebo and tests including urine, blood samples and swabs.[1] Cooper relates that the girls she was with in the home have now had children of their own with birth defects, and that these defects are a direct result of being drugged while at Kendall House.[2][3][4][5][6]
The story was first revisited in a national newspaper by Adrian Butler of the Sunday Mirror in January 2009.[7]
The story has been covered by Sally Gillen in 2007 reporter at Communitycare Magazine,[8] Review by Liz Davies is senior lecturer children and families social work, at London Metropolitan University[9] and blog by Sally Gillen.[10]
Cooper first took her case to Parliament with her then-MP Neil Gerrard in 1994.[11]
Cooper has since received a "substantial out of court settlement" in regard to her civil case against the Church of England.[12][13]
Bibliography edit
- Trust No One (2007)
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "'Sedation link' to birth defects". BBC News. April 7, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "CofE accused of care cover up". BBC News. May 22, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ Walker, Peter (April 7, 2009). "Inquiry calls grow over church care home sedation claims". London: Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ Booth, Jenny (April 7, 2009). "Drugging girls in care 'caused birth defects'". London: News International (The Times). Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ Swaine, Jon (April 7, 2009). "Women sedated at care homes 'at risk of birth defects'". London: Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "Diocesan home 'drugged hundreds'". Church Times. April 9, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ Exclusive: Girls drugged by a doctor in a care home are now having disabled babies
- ^ Church snubs plea to probe children's home abuse claims
- ^ Pin Down - One Girl's Harrowing and Disturbing Tale of Institutionalised Abuse
- ^ Women say they were abused in children's home DCSF resists calls for inquiry into Kendall House case
- ^ Council blocks rape inquiry by Liz Lightfoot, legal affairs correspondent home news
- ^ When will the Church of England face up to the abuse I suffered in their care? Archived 2010-09-01 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Church of England Pays Out After Child Sex and Drug Abuse Scandal - Press Release
External links edit
- Transcript of 1980 documentary covering the drugging of children in care and Kendall House Gravesend Kent
- 1994 Parliament debate: Social Services Files (Wandsworth) - Miss X
- Sedation 'birth defect risk' - The BBC, April 2009
- Living with the legacy of care
- Sedation link' to birth defects
- CofE accused of care cover up
- Forced drugging LWT Factual documentary about Kendall House including Sir George Young. Aired in 1980 prior to Teresa Cooper being placed in Kendall House
- BBC Radio full interview including MP Tim Loughton
- Eric Pickles' abuse victim comment sparks row 2013
- Child abuse victim sent threatening letter claiming to be from Brentwood MP Eric Pickles
- ERIC Pickles has refused to apologise to a victim of childhood abuse
- Confidential Police Email Deliberately leaked To Press by Tory Minister Eric Pickles Office
- 'In whose best interest' by Prof Laurie Taylor 1979/1980 on Kendall House and the misuse of drugs on children in care