Bristol nursery abuse claim

Leigh Day’s abuse team is instructed to represent families whose young children who were registered at Partou King Street Nursery, Bristol, whilst Nathan Bennett was an employee.

The families instructing Leigh Day have issued the following statement:

”We are devastated by the horrific abuse children have suffered at the hands of someone whom we all trusted to care for them. Nothing can begin to explain the shock, anger and heartbreak we feel – or the profound and lasting impact we are sure this will have on families. 

“Thankfully, these crimes have been brought to light and Bennett has been held accountable for the horrendous breach of the trust placed in him by parents and carers. The children were innocent and completely vulnerable; they were in a place that should have been safe. 

“We want answers. We want to understand how someone like Nathan Bennett was able to work with young children, what checks were made, and how the safeguarding systems in place at Partou King Street nursery failed so catastrophically. There are deep concerns among families that management and supervision did not protect children, and that this allowed the abuse to continue. 

“We hope that, as well as securing justice through the criminal process, the wider issues around safeguarding and protection at the nursery will be properly reviewed so that nothing like this can ever happen again. The children deserve that, and so do all families who entrust their children to nurseries every day.”

"Bennett's sentencing marks the end of a criminal investigation that has been devastating for families, but it does not begin to repair the harm caused to so many children. We entrusted our children to Partou King Street nursery believing they would be safe, cared for and nurtured. Instead, that trust was catastrophically broken by someone who abused his position in the most unimaginable way.

“Over the months before Bennett’s arrest, a number of parents raised concerns about his behaviour. We know concerns were raised to members of staff – we believe those warnings and complaints were not properly followed up or escalated. Had appropriate action been taken sooner, we fear some of the abuse children suffered may have been prevented.

“Nothing can undo what has happened. Our focus is now on supporting our children as they grow, and on seeking answers and accountability from those responsible for ensuring their safety. We are grateful to the police and prosecutors for bringing Bennett to justice, and to our legal team for now taking up the mantle in investigating potential systemic failings. We hope that by speaking out, meaningful changes will be made to protect other children in the future.”  

Support

A list of support organisations available can be found here: https://www.leighday.co.uk/our-services/human-rights/abuse-and-exploitation/support-for-survivors-of-abuse/

Specialist abuse lawyers in Leigh Day’s human rights team represent a group of families in a civil legal claim. 

The legal team investigating claims against Partou is led by Andrew Lord, Partner and solicitor, assisted by Zayna Mahmood, Associate.

Both Andrew and Zayna have extensive experience in representing survivors of abuse.

Andrew joined Leigh Day as a qualified solicitor in 2014, and since then he has acted in claims for survivors subjected to abuse in children’s homes, boarding schools, religious settings, voluntary organisations and hospitals. He has also acted in actions against perpetrators direct and has advised victims of trafficking.

Andrew has a specialist knowledge of cases involving sexual violence amongst children, and he acted in the first known settlement for sexual assaults involving sexual violence between primary school pupils: High Court approves settlement for six-year-old girl sexually abused by her classmates - Lexology.

Andrew is regularly featured in the media, and he has previously been named Times Lawyer of the Week for representing a six year old in a claim for negligence and human rights act breaches against his school.

Andrew is a panel member of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers and a trustee of We Are Survivors.

Zayna joined Leigh Day in 2019 and works alongside Andrew on his caseload. Zayna has worked on a broad range of cases, including in legal claims for very young children and those who lack capacity to instruct solicitors themselves, and took on the role of Associate in September 2025. Clients often express their gratitude for Zayna’s assistance, and she is noted as being meticulous but sensitive in her approach to her cases.

If you have any concerns in relation to this case you can contact Andrew Lord or Zayna Mahmood using the contact us button below.