Speak Out to Reach Out
Speak Out to Reach Out – A secret he carried for decades until he found the strength to speak
An article published in the Manchester Evening News claims that Chris Upton a 49-year-old skip worker from Wigan finally was able to open up about the sexual abuse he suffered in the late 1980’s. Then nearly 40 years later, the perpetrator – his uncle Carl McDowall has finally faced justice.
The abuse ended when Chris was 14 years old, McDowall then left Greater Manchester, moving to Scotland.
Chris kept the abuse to himself and didn’t tell anybody what happened for decades. At 27-years- old Chris told his mum what happened, she always wondered why he was so angry.
It would remain his burden to carry for almost another 20 years, until another victim came forward. Chris said he didn’t have the guts to do it alone.
In January 2026, a jury unanimously convicted McDowall, 58 years old, of Sanquhar in Dumfries and Galloway, of a string of offences relating to a number of victims, nine counts of sexual offences; including indecent assault on a woman over 16 and inciting a girl under 14 to commit gross indecency. McDowall was also convicted of five counts of gross indecency with children under the age of 14 and 2 counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 16. The terms of the offences reflect the law at the time, the Sexual Offences Act 1956, which was updated in 2003.
McDowall was charged in 2023 and went on trial at Bolton Crown Court this January. He was bailed throughout the trial.
On May 8, 2026, McDowall was sentenced to nine years and six months.
Chris says, ‘I wish I had spoken out sooner’, the minute I came forward, it was like a release of shame. It’s helped me massively and I want to help other people.
If you are the survivor of a violent crime, you may be entitled to compensation via the Government funded Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICA). Whilst nothing will change what has happened, compensation can enable you to move forward, seek any required support and rebuild your life.
Having a Solicitor to assist you with your claim can be beneficial and improve your changes of obtaining the correct level of compensation. At Jordans we have a dedicated Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) department who offers confidential advice and guidance through the CICA claim process from start to finish.
We can also assist if you have already submitted your application and feel expert guidance would now be beneficial whether that is due to receiving a rejection, advising on an award, lodging a Review or an Appeal.
Throughout the process we can anticipate what evidence the CICA will require and we will take the burden to trying to contact the different organisations yourself, such as the Police, HMRC and Medical Practitioners and try and maximise the amount of compensation you are entitled to.
Jordans Solicitors – helping victims of sexual abuse claim compensation.
If you have been a victim of physical and/or sexual abuse and would like to speak to one of our Specialist Abuse Lawyers in confidence, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We have the knowledge and experience to advise you on the available options for pursuing a Criminal Injuries Compensation Claim and/or civil damages claim.
Our Sexual Abuse Compensation Team can be contacted by telephoning 08009555094 or 03303001103.