More than 200 people have contacted police claiming to be
the victims of horrific sexual abuse at the former Medomsley Detention
Centre
More than 200 people have contacted detectives claiming to be the
victims of a predatory sex gang who targeted victims at a North East
borstal.
Durham Police launched a new investigation into the Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett, last year after fresh allegations inmates were being ferried off the grounds and sexually abused between the late 1960’s and the mid-1980’s.
It’s thought the scandal is one of the worst cases of mass scale sexual abuse at a government-run institution seen in this country, prompting the force to assign 80 detectives and the full resources of its Major Crimes Team to investigate the claims.
Senior prison officer Neville Husband was convicted of sex abuse offences in 2003. He died in 2010 following his release from prison.
Now detectives have confirmed that 232 calls were made to police by victims claiming to be the subject of sexual abuse at the centre, bringing the total to 375.
Det Supt Paul Goundy said: “Our aims all along have been to gain a clearer picture of what happened at Medomsley, obtain evidence which may lead to a criminal prosecution and, most importantly, to leave the victims in a better place than they were before. The recent coverage in the media has brought forward another 230 people who might not otherwise have contacted us. That suggests these victims have a level of confidence in us and feel we can help and support them.”
He added: “I think at the end of this investigation we will have some very important learning points to take on board, not just for ourselves but for the police nationally.”
Source
Durham Police launched a new investigation into the Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett, last year after fresh allegations inmates were being ferried off the grounds and sexually abused between the late 1960’s and the mid-1980’s.
It’s thought the scandal is one of the worst cases of mass scale sexual abuse at a government-run institution seen in this country, prompting the force to assign 80 detectives and the full resources of its Major Crimes Team to investigate the claims.
Senior prison officer Neville Husband was convicted of sex abuse offences in 2003. He died in 2010 following his release from prison.
Now detectives have confirmed that 232 calls were made to police by victims claiming to be the subject of sexual abuse at the centre, bringing the total to 375.
Det Supt Paul Goundy said: “Our aims all along have been to gain a clearer picture of what happened at Medomsley, obtain evidence which may lead to a criminal prosecution and, most importantly, to leave the victims in a better place than they were before. The recent coverage in the media has brought forward another 230 people who might not otherwise have contacted us. That suggests these victims have a level of confidence in us and feel we can help and support them.”
He added: “I think at the end of this investigation we will have some very important learning points to take on board, not just for ourselves but for the police nationally.”
Source
