January 4, 2018
Seven men have today been charged with
historic abuse of young inmates at a County Durham detention centre –
and more could follow, police said today.
More than 1,480 former residents have come
forward to report they were physically or sexually abused by staff at
Medomsley in the 1970s and 1980s.
Today County Durham Police charged seven
former staff with a number of offences including corruption, physical
abuse and sexual abuse.
The group, who are all men aged between 61 and 71, will appear in court next month.
They are Christopher Onslow, 71, Brian
Johnson Greenwell, 70, Alan Bramley, 69, John McGee, 73, Kevin Blakely,
65, David McClure, 62, and Neil Sowerby, 61. They are all former
members of staff at Medomsley.
The officer leading the investigation,
Detective Chief Superintendent Adrian Green, said: ‘Today‘s announcement
marks a significant step forward in what has been, and continues to be,
a long and complex investigation.
‘Enquiries do not stop here – the
Operation Seabrook team and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) remain
committed in continuing to move the investigation forward.
‘In February this year, we submitted 32
files to the CPS for charging decisions. A number of people are still
under investigation so we do not rule out further charges in the future.
‘I would like to reassure victims and
survivors that they are at the heart of everything we do.
Professional
support has been offered to anyone who needs help‘.
John McCabe revealed earlier this year was attacked by members of a gang he said raped him ‘every single day‘ at Medomsley.
Police re-launched their investigation
called Operation Seabrook four years ago after complaints were ignored,
amid claims many boys were systematically abused by ‘agents of the
state‘ in the 1970s and 1980s.
Two prison officers were jailed after a
2003 investigation, Lesley Johnson for six years and warden Neville
Husband for 12 years. It was Husband who abused Mr McCabe. Both are now
dead.
Police have been accused of botching
previous investigations and in one case a victim allegedly spoke to
police about being abused in the 1970s and was told to ‘f*** off‘ or
he‘d be sent back to prison.
Mr McCabe, who suffered six months of
attacks and has waived his right to anonymity to tell his story, told
the Daily Mirror: ‘I was asked to work in the kitchens. That‘s where I
met him (Husband).
He told me if I didn‘t do what he wanted he‘d kill me
and nobody would care.
‘I thought I was the only boy he abused. Now I know there were more. A lot more. And it wasn‘t just him.
‘I‘m fighting for justice for those boys, for myself. Too many people have got away with this for far too long.‘
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