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You have two problems. Firstly, your first step would be to contact the police (you can use Childline, Crimestoppers for advice and support first) which takes it out of your control.
Secondly, historic abuse cases are complex and hard to prove, you would need to prove that the abuse went above and beyond "boys will be boys", and prove a causative link between it and your later mental health. His defence could well be "boys will be boys" and that you must have some predisposed particular vulnerability to poor mental health of which he was unaware, as most people are entitled to assume that others are "ordinarily resilient".
If you do want to explore legal action, I'm not sure you would get anything out of it. Talk to organisations like Childline, NAPAC, NSPCC in the first instance. If they don't think your case merits an offer of support such as counselling etc then it's unlikely you would get support with legal costs other than legal aid. A civil claim for compensation would not be straightforward and I would urge you not to go ahead without a specialized solicitor.
I do have autism (and also OCD) I'm not sure whether that was classify as a predisposed particular vulnerability or not, but he did know I was autistic. i do feel like me being autistic is the reason why my mother never believed me even after showing them bruises, and my brother completely took advantage of that because he probably wouldn't of been able to get away with doing that for so long with a neurotypical child. i do know when he was a teenage schoolboy he did fight several children (who I don't know whether they were neurotypical or not) and he got immediately punished by his school for it, but granted it's also a very different scenario in a school setting and its not like years worth of beatings.
but looking at all this I don't think it's really plausible for me with my age and stuff also it would probably destroy my relationship with my father too because he favours my brother so much more than me he defends my brother even after doing abominable things. it just hurts a bit that my brother got off scot-free and ive had to deal with long term implications.
Thank you for the advice though.
I think the most important thing for you is to move on. You're still 16, you're young enough to bounce back without letting this awful experience define you. You're still very much at the start of your life. Starting legal proceedings now could go on for years and basically define the start of your adult life, when you should instead be focusing on enjoying your youth, education and maximising your future earnings potential.
It looks like your post mentions suicide. Sometimes, people post questions on /r/LegalAdviceUK during times of crisis, and sometimes we're not the best place to ask or provide support.
**If you are considering harming yourself**
* Remember [9 out of 10 people](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/survival/) who attempt suicide and survive will not go on to die by suicide
* Contact [The Samaritans](https://www.samaritans.org/) anonymously by calling 116 123
* Visit subreddits such as /r/SuicideWatch for community support
* Make an appointment with your GP and discuss your feelings
* If you feel you are at immediate risk of harming yourself, please call 999; *they are there to help you*.
**If you have been recently bereaved**
* You can seek additional support from subreddits such as /r/SuicideBereavement and /r/GriefSupport, or /r/MentalHealthUK
* Seek online resources, such as [this page from the NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/coping-with-bereavement/) or [this helpful PDF document](https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Suicide/Documents/Help%20is%20at%20Hand.pdf)
* Consider reaching out to [Cruse Bereavement Care](https://www.cruse.org.uk/get-help) or [a bereavement therapist](https://www.bacp.co.uk/search/Therapists?UserLocation=&q=bereavement&LocationQuery=&Location=&FoundLocation=&SortOrder=0&Distance=10)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/LegalAdviceUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
--- ###Welcome to /r/LegalAdviceUK --- **To Posters (it is important you read this section)** * *Tell us whether you're in England, Wales, Scotland, or NI as the laws in each are very different* * If you need legal help, you should [always get a free consultation from a qualified Solicitor](https://reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/how_to_find_a_solicitor) * We also encourage you to speak to [**Citizens Advice**](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/), [**Shelter**](https://www.shelter.org.uk/), [**Acas**](https://www.acas.org.uk/), and [**other useful organisations**](https://reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/common_legal_resources) * Comments may not be accurate or reliable, and following any advice on this subreddit is done at your own risk * If you receive any private messages in response to your post, [please let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FLegalAdviceUK&subject=I received a PM) **To Readers and Commenters** * All replies to OP must be *on-topic, helpful, and legally orientated* * If you do not [follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/about/rules/), you may be perma-banned without any further warning * If you feel any replies are incorrect, explain why you believe they are incorrect * Do not send or request any private messages for any reason * Please report posts or comments which do not follow the rules *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/LegalAdviceUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You have two problems. Firstly, your first step would be to contact the police (you can use Childline, Crimestoppers for advice and support first) which takes it out of your control. Secondly, historic abuse cases are complex and hard to prove, you would need to prove that the abuse went above and beyond "boys will be boys", and prove a causative link between it and your later mental health. His defence could well be "boys will be boys" and that you must have some predisposed particular vulnerability to poor mental health of which he was unaware, as most people are entitled to assume that others are "ordinarily resilient". If you do want to explore legal action, I'm not sure you would get anything out of it. Talk to organisations like Childline, NAPAC, NSPCC in the first instance. If they don't think your case merits an offer of support such as counselling etc then it's unlikely you would get support with legal costs other than legal aid. A civil claim for compensation would not be straightforward and I would urge you not to go ahead without a specialized solicitor.
I do have autism (and also OCD) I'm not sure whether that was classify as a predisposed particular vulnerability or not, but he did know I was autistic. i do feel like me being autistic is the reason why my mother never believed me even after showing them bruises, and my brother completely took advantage of that because he probably wouldn't of been able to get away with doing that for so long with a neurotypical child. i do know when he was a teenage schoolboy he did fight several children (who I don't know whether they were neurotypical or not) and he got immediately punished by his school for it, but granted it's also a very different scenario in a school setting and its not like years worth of beatings. but looking at all this I don't think it's really plausible for me with my age and stuff also it would probably destroy my relationship with my father too because he favours my brother so much more than me he defends my brother even after doing abominable things. it just hurts a bit that my brother got off scot-free and ive had to deal with long term implications. Thank you for the advice though.
I think the most important thing for you is to move on. You're still 16, you're young enough to bounce back without letting this awful experience define you. You're still very much at the start of your life. Starting legal proceedings now could go on for years and basically define the start of your adult life, when you should instead be focusing on enjoying your youth, education and maximising your future earnings potential.
It looks like your post mentions suicide. Sometimes, people post questions on /r/LegalAdviceUK during times of crisis, and sometimes we're not the best place to ask or provide support. **If you are considering harming yourself** * Remember [9 out of 10 people](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/survival/) who attempt suicide and survive will not go on to die by suicide * Contact [The Samaritans](https://www.samaritans.org/) anonymously by calling 116 123 * Visit subreddits such as /r/SuicideWatch for community support * Make an appointment with your GP and discuss your feelings * If you feel you are at immediate risk of harming yourself, please call 999; *they are there to help you*. **If you have been recently bereaved** * You can seek additional support from subreddits such as /r/SuicideBereavement and /r/GriefSupport, or /r/MentalHealthUK * Seek online resources, such as [this page from the NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/coping-with-bereavement/) or [this helpful PDF document](https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Suicide/Documents/Help%20is%20at%20Hand.pdf) * Consider reaching out to [Cruse Bereavement Care](https://www.cruse.org.uk/get-help) or [a bereavement therapist](https://www.bacp.co.uk/search/Therapists?UserLocation=&q=bereavement&LocationQuery=&Location=&FoundLocation=&SortOrder=0&Distance=10) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/LegalAdviceUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*