Police
have reopened a 10-year-old investigation into sexual abuse at a former
County Durham detention centre, which saw two staff jailed.
Church minister Neville Husband, who worked at Medomsley
juvenile detention centre as a prison officer and store man Leslie
Johnson were jailed in 2003.
The pair, both now dead, were convicted of sexually abusing inmates.
Durham Police has now reopened the investigation after a former inmate claimed he was also abused.
John McCabe, from East Kilbride in Scotland, who has waived
his right to anonymity, said he was also a victim of Husband at the
now-closed institution.
Mr McCabe said the abuse took place 30 years ago when Husband
recruited him to work in the kitchen, and that he also took him out of
Medomsley, where he was raped by another man. 'Vulnerable young people'
Durham detectives are now reinvestigating the claims and have appealed for any other abuse victims to come forward.
Det Supt Paul Goundry said: "The investigation will put
victims at the heart of the inquiry, but at the same time we would like
to hear from anyone who has new information about Medomsley and any
abuse that occurred either inside, or when inmates were taken off-site.
"Those who carried out the abuse preyed on some very
vulnerable young people and left many of them with mental scars which
have lasted a lifetime.
Neville Husband was jailed for abusing male inmates in 2003
"While we contacted and took statements from a number of
victims as part of this investigation, we believe there are others who
for whatever reason have never come forward.
"It is those people we are now asking to contact us and pass
on any information about what took place during their time at Medomsley,
whether it happened at the centre or elsewhere."
Medomsley closed in the late 1980s after the abuse came to light and has since reopened as a secure training centre.
During his 2003 trial, Newcastle Crown Court heard Husband,
who became a minister in the United Reformed Church after 27 years in
the prison service, had used his position of authority to systematically
abuse his victims between 1974 and 1984.
The male inmates, who were aged between 16 and 19 at the
time, had been picked by Husband to work in the kitchens, where he would
sometimes "blatantly" indecently assault them or take them away for
abuse in secret.
He was jailed for 12 years. Johnson was sentenced to six years at a separate trial.
Source BBC News
Brave: Victim of abuse John McCabe has
successfully campaigned for a new police investigation into sex crimes
at a Durham borstal
A borstal boy who was among hundreds
abused by a paedophile ring in prison while police allegedly turned a
blind eye has won a campaign to have the case re-opened. John
McCabe was sexually assaulted at 17 at the Medomsley Detention Centre,
County Durham, by members of a gang he said raped him 'every single
day'. Police have
re-launched their investigation 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. But
at least four other staff were said to be involved 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.' John
went to the police in 2009 after Husband was released, but the Crown
Prosecution Service took no action, leaving him 'devastated'.
Shame: Boys were abused at the Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett, County Durham, in the 1970s and 1980s
His local MP, Michael McCann,
Labour's representative in East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, has
helped his constituent with the campaign. He told MailOnline: 'John and I have carried this on and want to help in any way we can. 'If anyone has any information about abuse inside the detention centre or outside we would like them to tell the police.
'We know there were two convicted but we know there were others who carried out abuse and were never brought to justice. 'John has been incredibly brave in talking about what happened to him and I hope that it will inspire bravery in others. 'There
were people who were abused by agents of the state and when they tried
to get help it was refused. I don't believe that will happen now'.
Paedophile: Prison guard Neville Husband (left)
was jailed for 8 years for his abuse, but Michael McCann MP (right) is
helping with the new campaign for justice as he says more men were
involved
Police are appealing for any victims to come forward. Det
Supt Paul Goundry, head of safeguarding for Durham Constabulary said:
'Neville Husband preyed on some of the most vulnerable children and
young people in our society and left many of them with mental scars
which have lasted a lifetime. 'While
we contacted and took statements from a number of victims as part of
this investigation, we believe there are others who for whatever reason
have never come forward. It is those people we are now asking to contact
us and pass on any information about what took place during their time
at Medomsley, whether it happened at the centre or off-site. I can assure them we have experienced officers on hand to talk to them and they will be treated with the utmost sensitivity. 'What
happened at Medomsley was organised abuse on a large scale and we are
committed to ensuring every victim feels they have had the opportunity
to speak. Throughout our enquiries we will be in constant touch with the
CPS who will ultimately advise on whether there are grounds to bring
criminal charges. 'John has
shown great bravery in giving up his right to anonymity and talking
about the abuse he suffered. I hope that by doing so he will encourage
others to come forward and pass on any information they have.' Anyone with information should dial 101 and ask for Durham Constabulary.
Senior officers have launched a major inquiry into the horrific sex abuse after complaints were ignored or dropped
Victim: John McCabe sufferd horrific abuse
Stuart Nicol
Claims a ring of violent paedophile prison officers routinely raped
hundreds of teenage boys in a borstal are finally being investigated –
after an alleged police cover-up.
Senior officers have launched a
major inquiry into the horrific sex abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre,
County Durham, after complaints were ignored by police or dropped by
the Crown Prosecution Service.
One brave victim, who has waived his right to anonymity, said: “I was raped every single day.”
John McCabe was abused, aged 17, for six months by prison officer Neville Husband.
He said: “I was asked to work in the kitchens. That’s where I met him.
"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.”
John, of East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, added: “I’m fighting for justice for those boys, for myself.
"Too many people have got away with this for far too long.”
Police fear hundreds of young men were assaulted while serving sentences at Medomsley in the 70s and 80s.
Husband was jailed for 12 years at Newcastle crown court for mass rape of boys in his care.
Storeman Lesley Johnson was jailed for six years. Both men are now dead.
Victims
say the 2003 probe into Husband did not go far enough and that he was
part of a ring of officers involved in systematic abuse.
At least four other prison officers were involved, along with individuals outside the centre, police suspect.
And
a police officer is believed to have covered up allegations after one
victim walked into Consett Police Station in 1977 to make a statement
about abuse.
His claims were ignored and the paperwork for his statement has been destroyed.
The missed chance meant the ring could continue to abuse inmates for years. Monster: Prison officer Neville Husband
North News & Pictures
John contacted Durham Police in 2009 – after his attacker was released from jail – to say he was also a victim.
But
after a police investigation the Crown Prosecution Service took no
further action against Husband, saying it was not in the public
interest.
John said: “I was devastated.”
But after he contacted his MP police have now opened up the probe.
Det
Supt Paul Goundry, in charge of Durham Police child protection, said:
“Every avenue will be explored and we’ll do our utmost to bring
perpetrators to justice.
"If there were officers who ignored
evidence about a paedophile ring at Medomsley then they will be traced
and investigated too.”
Some alleged victims have told police they were taken off-site on the pretence of extra curricular activities.
They claim they were dragged into a private room where they were blindfolded and raped by their captors.
And it is alleged that at times there were up to five men present.
Police
are now hunting what they believe was a large group of sexual predators
who preyed on the vulnerable young men at the prison for nearly 15
years. And John is giving his full backing to police.
He said:
“After meeting the authorities I’m completely confident they will carry
out a full investigation into what happened at Medomsley because they
are now convinced Husband and Johnson were not acting alone.
"They
are now taking seriously the claims that rapes and other abuse took
place in a number of locations, which until now had not been identified.
“I
would urge any former victims to come forward and help police build a
case against those evil savages who did this. Please don’t suffer in
silence.”
John explained how, if it was not for his MP in Scotland, the case may never have been examined.
He
said: “I was really down and my last hope for justice was to approach
my local MP, Michael McCann, who’d been a classmate back in East
Kilbride.
“Thankfully Michael gave me his full support and with
his help I went to the police again. After he campaigned, the case was
re-opened.” Scene: Medomsley Detention Centre
North News / NNP
Michael, a senior Labour MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and
Lesmahagow, said: “John and I want to support the Durham Police
investigation and call upon anyone who has knowledge of the abuse that
took place either inside or outside Medomsley Detention Centre to come
forward and tell their story.
“We both know young men attempted to report abuse 30 years ago but were let down by the authorities.
“That
will not happen this time and I hope that John McCabe’s bravery in
revealing his story will encourage others to come forward.
"Young
men like John were detained by the State and then they were abused by
agents of the State and others inside and outside Medomsley.
“Only Neville Husband and Lesley Johnson were convicted. The others, and there were others, are still at liberty.
“They must be caught, prosecuted and send to jail for their heinous crimes.”
There are thought to be around 26 victims who have come forward.
Some have been awarded damages by the Ministry of Justice after a civil trial and a case is being pursued in John’s name.
When
the Medomsley victims sought compensation after Husband’s conviction,
the Home Office used the statute of limitations to avoid payment.
Eventually in 2009 it paid out £512,000 to 12 men, but there are still cases which are waiting to be settled.
But the victims of Medomsley have never received an apology.
When
Stephen Byers, then MP for some of the victims, wrote to then Justice
Minister, Jack Straw, in 2010, Mr Straw replied: “The terms of the
agreement did not include an apology.”
Det Supt Goundry appealed for more victims to speak out.
He said: “What we need now is people to come forward. Anyone who knows anything about what went on at Medomsley.
“You’ll be dealt with sensitively by a trained professional.”
“We believe other victims, for whatever reason, have never come forward.
"It
is those people we are now asking to contact us and pass on any
information about what took place during their time at Medomsley, at the
centre or off-site.
“John has shown great bravery in giving up his right to anonymity and talking about the abuse he suffered.
“I hope he will encourage others to come forward.”
Anyone with information should contact Durham Constabulary on 101.
Evil officer’s threat to kill if I said, ‘No’
Borstal
rape victim John McCabe ended up in Medomsley Detention Centre in 1983
after snatching two rings from a pawn shop in Scarborough.
It was
during his nine-month sentence he met prison officer Neville Husband who
chose John to work with him in the kitchens. Now married with three
children, health and safety officer John said: “A few days in, he rubbed
himself up against me and I pulled away.”
The next day, Husband
cornered the 17-year-old boy and held a knife to his throat. John added:
“He said if I refused him again, it would be easy to take me out of the
centre and kill me, or for me to be found hanged in my cell.”
The first rape happened a few days later.
“He
got me alone in the kitchen and grabbed me by the throat,” said John.
“I was passing out and he groped me. He was just too big and too strong
to fight off.”
The abuse continued both in jail and off the
premises – sometimes with another man present. A man who has never been
brought to justice.
John was so depressed he stopped writing to
his mum who became worried and called the prison. But evil Husband made
John phone and reassure her.
Six months into his sentence, a change in the law meant time served on remand was taken into account and John was released.
He said: “I was terrified – convinced Husband would stop me getting out. A guard said he was taking me to the train station.
“I
broke a glass to use as a weapon if he turned up. I paced up and down
carriages all the way to Glasgow, expecting to find him.”
John
tried to block the abuse from his mind – until one day in 2009 when he
saw a news report that Husband had been released from prison.
That is when he went to police to report the rapes.
“Mr
Speaker, Prison Officer Neville Husband abused young men in the Medomsley
Detention Centre for decades before he was prosecuted and sentenced for some of
his crimes.
A
Constituent who was abused by Husband has given me information which suggests
that senior figures in the Establishment knew what was going on.
The CPS
refuses to pursue these matters and instead the Home Office has sought to issue
compensation payments.
Mr
Speaker, young men were detained by the State and then they were abused by the
State. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that a full enquiry is necessary
to insure that justice is done and is seen to be done?”
DAVID
CAMERON (Prime Minister - Conservative):
“Well I
think the first thing that the honourable gentleman should do, and I’m sure he
already has, is make sure that any evidence he has of abuse, or of cover-ups of
abuse, or compliance with abuse, is given to the Crown Prosecution Service and
given too the authorities so it can be properly investigated.
The Home
Affairs Select Committee on which I sat actually looked into this issue in
years gone past, made a number of recommendations, so I’ll look ‘carefully’ at
what the honourable gentleman said and see if there’s more advice I can
provide.”
ADAM RICKWOOD & THE MEDOMSLEY HEROES
This group of men 'The
Medomsley Heroes', primarily from N.E. England, were all sexually abused
by senior prison officer 'Neville Husband' back in the 70s. For more
than seven years the survivors sought an apology and compensation from
the Home Office for their horrific abuse whilst in the care of Medomsley
Young Offenders Institution. All the victims interviewed felt they were
pressurised into settling their claims out of court, but continue to
push for a public enquiry. (Neville Husband served 8 years out of a
10-year sentence in prison for the offence, he was released in October
2009 and died August 2010).
Pie and Mash Films, based in S.E.
London is an independent film company working with the victims.
Acclaimed Film director Bill Maloney, who has himself come forward as a
former victim of institutional abuse, was approached by the Medomsley
Heroes to tell their stories of abuse at the hands of the
'Establishment'. They trusted Bill to allow them to tell the truth with
freedom of speech and emotions and without the sanitation imposed by
major broadcasters.
Adam Rickwood brings the story up to date.
During
his investigations Bill Maloney also discovered that just five years
ago the youngest child to die in custody, Adam Rickwood (14) allegedly
committed suicide at the same detention centre - now under the name of
Hassockfield STC. Bill built a bond with Carol Pounder, Adam's Mother,
and with Adam's family and friends who do not believe he committed
suicide. The connection of ligature techniques both on the Medomsley
victims and on Adam Rickwood is disturbing.
Bill Maloney is now
dedicating his filmmaking skills to fight against institutional child
abuse. His whole family were brought up and abused in the British care
system. In his documentary 'Adam Rickwood & The Medomsley Heroes'
his intention is to allow the victims to speak for themselves in a
working class manner that represents his own culture.
Bill's
technique, to comprise a bigger picture into the smaller frame that the
public is often shown, breathes life and thought provoking images into
the documentary.
The gritty documentary's aim is to inform and
raise public awareness as to the brutality and dangers dwelling within
child care institutions and within the 'youth' prison service. The
restraining techniques used by children's care officers are horrific and
cause children as young as 14 to take their own lives.
This documentary instigated an investigation by Eric Allison at The Guardian Newspaper:
With thanks to Bill Maloney and his brave camera crew who went to Jersey to get some insight into what was being reported in the media about institutional sexual abuse and torture of young children. Upon Bill's arrival Bill and the crew started to notice things were strange in this place. Watch Sun Sea & Satan the full documentary, No cutaways No Manipulation No tampering with footage as we have seen many times with the aggregated media, Just the raw data and facts that clearly unfold in this piece of documentary.
Here's the link to the full documentary for SUN SEA & SATAN, comments,
discussion and controversial debate are flooding in (over 1600) and
we've had over 27,000 views in 4 weeks:
SUN SEA & SATAN (1hr)
We've also posted this information resulting from the Guardian article:
Thank you to all Pie and Mash Films Supporters Our films are having the desired affect! By Eric Allison THE GUARDIAN:
"As a prison correspondent, few stories have angered me as much
as the abuse of young detainees by Neville Husband. We were alerted to
this horror story by a powerful no-budget film, Adam Rickwood and the
Medomsley Heroes, produced by Pie and Mash Films. It was never
broadcast but is available on YouTube. It is a long and angry account of
the anguish caused by Husband, exacerbated by the system that protected
him. It does not make comfortable viewing. Those who betrayed the
boys in their charge ought to be made to watch it."
Times are hard for all at present and currently 'dire' for Pie
and Mash Films - If you able to help them to continue producing their
cutting edge documentaries please make a donation, no matter how small,
to Pie and Mash Films.
MAKE A DONATION HERE
Pie and Mash Films say "THANK YOU" to
their wonder supporters who have helped in the past, you know who you
are and they salute you!
You can also help by forwarding this email
to your contacts and sharing on your social networks.
To ask the Secretary of State
for Justice what his policy is on reviewing the management of the
prison service at Medomsley Detention Centre for Young Offenders during
the 1970s and 1980s; and when he last reviewed the case or sought advice
on it from his officials.
Crispin Blunt (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Prisons and Probation), Justice; Reigate, Conservative)
I
regret that I am unable to answer the right hon. Member’s question due
to ongoing litigation involving former residents of Medomsley Detention
Centre.
The prison service says it has come 'a long way' since the 1980s. Photograph: Richard Addison/PA
As prisons correspondent for the Guardian, I have covered many
stories that have angered me. It could hardly be otherwise, writing as I
am about a penal system that fails so spectacularly in so many areas.
But I have never been more enraged than in researching and co-writing a piece about sexual abuse in prisons.
The
story was about perhaps the most prolific sex offender this country has
ever seen. Neville Husband was a prison officer who, in 1969, was moved
from Portland borstal, Dorset, to the Medomsley detention centre,
county Durham, where he ran the kitchen for 15 years. It is likely that,
on every working day of that period, he sexually abused young detainees
in his charge. Those were young, vulnerable boys, many of them from the
care system, too terrified to complain.
My anger is not directed
at Husband, who was sentenced to 10 years in jail for his crimes, and is
now dead. It is instead aimed at the system and those in it who, at all
levels, protected him and betrayed his victims. They are fellow
officers who, at Husband's trial, testified they knew "something was
going on". "Husband used to keep one boy behind in the kitchen at
night," said one, "we always felt sorry for that boy." Felt sorry? Then
why didn't you do something about it and put an end to Husband's reign
of terror, an end to the misery his victims suffered? I am also angry at
the various governors at Medomsley, who approved Husband's request to
stay there when promotion and transfer beckoned. Angry at those who knew
of his previous arrest for possession of child pornography – depicting
teenage boys – while he was at Portland. (Husband was not charged,
because he was "thinking about writing a book on homosexuality" and the
material seized was for "research".) I'm angry at Durham police officers
who ignored the complaints of some of the victims who went to them
after being released and who failed to move on him even after an
accomplice of his had been arrested for abuse, and told them he had
"been given a boy" by Husband.
My anger is also directed at people
at the top of the prison service who, when some victims sought
compensation, fought the claim all the way to the House of Lords.
Politicians like then minister of justice Jack Straw who said, after
those victims hoped the system would apologise to them, that "an apology
was not part of the settlement". Really, Mr Straw? You could not say
sorry to victims who, in some cases, were tied up and raped by an
officer of the crown? And let's not forget the current prison service
which responded to our request for a comment on Husband's abuse thus:
"In the late 1970s, several detainees held at Medomsley detention centre
were physically and sexually abused by Neville Husband. At no stage has
the Ministry of Justice attempted to defend the actions of Mr Husband.
The prison service has come a long way since the 1980s and significant
efforts have been made to eliminate, so far as is possible, the
mistreatment of prisoners."
"Several" detainees? Any rational
examination of the evidence against Husband would conclude he abused
hundreds, possibly thousands, of boys during his awful tenure. As for
not defending Husband's actions, fighting compensation claims all the
way to the House of Lords looks pretty much like defending his actions
to me. The prison service did not bother to send an observer to
Husband's trial and told the victims' lawyers it had "no plans" to carry
out a review, or investigation, after the civil action. The Crown
Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute Husband over alleged abuse
at Deerbolt young offenders institution because it would "not be in the
public interest". Is that "moving on"?
In order to "move on" from a
problem, it has to be first acknowledged and then addressed. There
still has never been an inquiry into how Husband was allowed to abuse so
many people over so many years, and to try to ensure it never happens
again. As Nick Hardwick, chief inspector of prisons, told the Guardian:
"It would be dangerously complacent to imagine these things could only
happen in the past. There is always a danger that in closed institutions
– be they prisons, children's homes or hospitals – abusive behaviour by
some staff becomes the accepted norm. We need to recognise the
vulnerability inherent in the situation of every detainee."
We were alerted to this horror story by a powerful no-budget film, Adam Rickwood and the Medolmsley Heroes, produced by Pie and Mash Films. It was never broadcast but is available on YouTube.
It is a long and angry account of the anguish caused by Husband,
exacerbated by the system that protected him. It does not make
comfortable viewing. Those who betrayed the boys in their charge ought
to be made to watch it.
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Neville Husband was jailed for abusing male inmates in 2003
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