Children injured in the Manchester Arena bombing will receive almost £20 million in compensation, a judge has ruled.
Damages will be paid by organisations responsible for security at the event, including British Transport Police (BTP) and Greater Manchester Police. At a hearing yesterday at Manchester Civil Justice Centre, compensation awards for 16 individuals — all under the age of 16 at the time of the attack — were approved, with payments ranging from £11.4 million to £2,770.
Some of the children suffered catastrophic, life-changing injuries, while others were left with lasting psychological trauma after witnessing the aftermath of the bombing. Suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a shrapnel-filled backpack bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds more.
A public inquiry led by Sir John Saunders later found that opportunities to prevent the attack had been missed, identifying “serious shortcomings” in security and individual failings.
The defendants, jointly liable for £19,928,150, include police forces and other bodies responsible for safety at the arena, SMG Europe Holdings — the venue’s operator — and Showsec International Ltd, which provided crowd management.
Judge Nigel Bird approved the settlements, which were agreed between the claimants’ lawyers and the defendants because the cases involved children or individuals lacking mental capacity. A court order prohibits the identification of the claimants or their families.
It is understood that claims from a further 352 adults, including families of the 22 people who were killed, will now be settled following the hearing.
Lawyers for the claimants said all four organisations involved have apologised to bereaved families and survivors and have acknowledged their failures.
Addressing the court, Judge Bird said the cases were linked by “injuries and loss suffered arising out of a single and unimaginable act of terrorism” at a concert attended by many young people and their families. He added: “Twenty-two innocent lives were lost and the lives of countless others impacted.
The love and care a parent gives to an injured child is beyond monetary value.”
He also paid tribute to the families’ courage, saying their “quiet determination” had helped secure promises of change, with the hope that others might be spared similar suffering in the future.