Three brothers who were abused by a trainee priest have received substantial compensation more than 30 years later.

The brothers, who do not wish to be identified, were sexually abused by Bernard Traynor, a trainee priest working in the Hexham and Newcastle Diocese.

The boys were in care at St Vincents childrens’ home in Newcastle and were all abused by Traynor during the early 1970s.

During a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in 1995, Traynor pleaded guilty to the abuse and was given a two year probation order.

At the time the men were advised to claim compensation but were told by a solicitor that because so many years had passed they weren’t legally able to claim.

The brothers attempted to put the abuse behind them but in 2008 Lottery Rapist Iorworth Hoare was successfully sued by his victim decades after he attacked her.

The case changed the law to allow victims of assault cases to claim damages many years after the incident.

Thompsons Solicitors made claim for compensation

The brothers decided to get in touch with Thompsons Solicitors to see if they could now claim compensation from the Hexham and Newcastle Diocese.

Thompsons was successful in settling the case for all three.

One of the brothers said: “Claiming compensation was never about the money. All our lives have been affected by the abuse we suffered at St Vincents. Had the abuse not happened we are certain that we would all have taken different paths but we never received a proper apology from the Diocese for what they put us through.

“Finally, after three decades, we have received acknowledgement of the abuse we suffered by the very organisation that should have been looking after our interests.”

Bryan Prudham from Thompsons Solicitors added: “What Traynor did was a gross abuse of his position.”

“While this compensation will never replace the lives these brothers feel they have lost as a result of the abuse they faced we hope it will go some way towards providing a feeling of justice.”