Government is failing Medomsley Detention Centre victims, says Shadow Home Secretary

• 11:30, 16 March 2015
• By Rachel Wearmouth

Labour's Yvette Cooper said those who suffered abuse at former facility in Consett, County Durham, deserve answers

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper

The Shadow Home Secretary has accused the Government of failing victims of abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre by stalling an inquiry.

Nineteen former prison staff are expected to be interviewed by police amid claims there was a paedophile ring operating at the now-defunct facility in Consett, County Durham in the 1970s and 80s.

It comes after Durham Police confirmed more than 1,000 men have made reports about historic sexual and/or physical abuse following the force re-launching the investigation in 2013.

Now, Labour’s Yvette Cooper said the Home Office must stop dithering over a planned over-arching parliamentary probe into child abuse and help bring victims closure.

Home Secretary Theresa May is still deciding on the scope of a parliamentary abuse inquiry months after it was decided it should take place.

New Zealand’s Justice Lowell Goddard was finally appointed chairwoman of the inquiry in February.

Ms Cooper said: “The abuse suffered at Medomsley is appalling. It is now vital a full police investigation is carried out into what was going on at the youth detention centre and ensure criminal charges are brought against all those who carried out or were complicit in abuse.

“And it is also important compensation claims are processed and allocated funding paid out to victims as soon as possible.

“We called for the Government to carry out an overarching review of child abuse – including historic abuse in institutional settings.

“The Home Office has dithered and made basic errors in getting this off the ground and so today, despite having a chair in place, we are no further forwards in getting to the truth.

“This investigation must now be made a priority, so all survivors of abuse, including those abused at Medomsley, can start to get answers as to why these crimes were able to be committed against them.”


Neville Husband

It is believed that the Home Office could be forced to pay out in excess of £12m in compensation to victims.

Former prison officer Neville Husband was jailed for eight years in 2003 for abusing five youths.
The media attention surrounding the trial saw other victims come forward and he was jailed for a further two years for other attacks. He died in 2010, after being released from prison.

His former colleague Leslie Johnson, who was jailed for six years in 2005 for sexual offences, has also since died.

Durham Police is still in the process of tracing and speaking to a number of former prison officers.

Source

Medomsley abuse: More than 1,000 men report attacks

More than 1,000 men have now come forward to say they were sexually or physically abused at a youth detention centre in the 1970s and 1980s, police said.

     More than 1,085 victims have now come forward 

Durham Police confirmed 1,085 men had made reports of abuse at the centre in Medomsley.

The force said it was trying to contact and question former centre staff.

Inquiries were prompted by the jailing of two ex-staff members, who have both since died, in 2003 and 2005.

Solicitor Alistair Smith, who is representing 90 victims, urged the government to speed up compensation payment to victims.

Mr Smith said: "I've had men in tears in their 50s and 60s - there is a lot of hurt there and they've kept this to themselves for 30 and 40 years.

"These are victims and they deserve having the government deals with this now. They should not have to wait and go through the civil process for compensation - that takes too long."

 The 2003 jailing of Neville Husband for abusing boys at Medomsley prompted more 
victims to come forward

But, the Ministry of Justice said the police probe was slowing down progress.

A spokesman said: "We are not delaying the release of compensation to victims of Medomsley Detention Centre and we are doing everything we can to progress claims as quickly as possible.

"However, many cases are still subject to an on-going police investigation for which we are co-operating fully and providing historical records."

The investigation was triggered after former prison officer Neville Husband was jailed for eight years in 2003 for abusing five youths.

The publicity surrounding the trial led to others coming forward and he was subsequently jailed for a further two years for other attacks.

He died in 2010, after being released from prison.

His former colleague Leslie Johnson, who was jailed for six years in 2005 for sexual offences, has also since died.

Durham Police said: "We are currently in the process of tracing and speaking to a number of former prison officers who worked there during the years in question."

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