In a significant legal milestone, a judge has ruled that nearly £20 million is to be paid to 16 survivors of the Manchester Arena terror attack. All of the claimants involved in this specific ruling were children under the age of 16 when the tragedy occurred eight and a half years ago.
The 2017 suicide bombing, carried out at an Ariana Grande concert, claimed 22 lives and left hundreds more with devastating physical and psychological scars.
The Payout Breakdown
The hearing at the Manchester Civil Courts of Justice on Thursday approved a total settlement of £19,928,150.
Because the cases involved children or individuals lacking mental capacity, the settlements required formal court approval. While individual amounts vary significantly based on the severity of the injuries, the figures include:
- Lowest payout: £2,770
- Highest payout: £11.4 million (for “catastrophic” life-changing injuries)
Who is Paying?
The settlement is being funded by the organisations responsible for the safety and security of the event that night. A public inquiry previously found that “serious shortcomings” and missed opportunities allowed the attacker to strike.
The defendants contributing to the payout include:
- SMG Europe Holdings: The venue managers.
- Showsec International Ltd: The firm in charge of crowd management.
- British Transport Police (BTP) & Greater Manchester Police (GMP): The forces responsible for policing the site.
All four organisations have issued formal apologies and admitted to their failures in protecting the public.
The Human Toll
Judge Nigel Bird, who approved the claims, paid an emotional tribute to the families involved. He praised their “courage, dedication, and fortitude,” noting that the love a parent gives to an injured child is “beyond monetary value.”
While the 16 survivors in this hearing remain anonymous due to court orders, their legal teams issued a sobering joint statement:
“This is not a day of celebration. It is a moment to acknowledge the mistakes that were made and the unimaginable suffering our clients have endured.”
What Happens Next?
This ruling is just the beginning of the final legal resolutions. It is understood that 352 further claims from adults—including the families of the 22 people murdered—are currently being finalised out-of-court. Because these involve adults with legal capacity, the specific details of the public money being paid out by the police forces may not be made public.
The legacy of the attack continues to shape UK safety laws through Martyn’s Law. Named after victim Martyn Hett, the legislation now requires public venues to have much stricter anti-terror security measures in place to ensure such a catastrophe never happens again.
