Thursday, 17 October 2013

We Demand a Public Inquiry

Wednesday, 16 October 2013

80 'abuse victims' contact police

Detectives announced in August they were starting a new investigation into claims young men sent to Medomsley Detention Centre near Consett, County Durham, were abused by staff.

In 2003, a previous police investigation called Operation Halter led to the conviction of Neville Husband, a prison officer at the centre.

Husband was initially jailed for eight years after being found guilty of abusing five youngsters.

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

After being released from prison he died from natural causes in 2010.

The fresh investigation has so far led to 83 new victims coming forward - ex-inmates have not previously complained to police.

The unit had a capacity of over 130, but at any one time typically held around 70 offenders, mainly from across the north of England.

Many were first-time offenders and had been detained for relatively minor crimes. The centre was closed in 1988.

Around 60 detectives, drawn mainly from the force's major crime team and safeguarding units, are working on the inquiry named Operation Seabrook.

They are each being assigned individual victims to interview and take initial statements from, a process which should begin in earnest in a few weeks.

Det Supt Paul Goundry, leading the investigation, pledged that all those who had come forward would be treated with sensitivity.

"We have experienced detectives working on this case including many who are specially-trained to deal with victims of sexual abuse," he said.

"They will go to see our victims in person, wherever they are, answer any queries they may have and steer them towards the appropriate counselling services if they need them.

"This will be a lengthy process but I am confident we have the resources in place.

"We are also in regular contact with the Crown Prosecution Service who will ultimately advise on whether criminal charges should be brought.

"Many of those sent to Medomsley were first-time offenders, often detained for relatively minor offences.

"These days they might be dealt with by issuing a caution, or putting in place a restorative solution designed to keep them out of the criminal justice system.

"We owe it to all the former inmates of the centre to investigate every possible lead and ensure no stone is left unturned."

Source

More than 80 victims come forward in abuse investigation

Last updated Wed 16 Oct 2013

More than 80 people have said they suffered as inmates at a County Durham centre for young offenders in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Durham Constabulary announced they were launching a fresh investigation into claims young men sent to Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett were abused by staff.

The unit had a capacity of over 130, but at any one time typically held 70 offenders, mainly from the north. Many were first-time offenders detained for minor crimes.

“We have experienced detectives working on this case including many who are specially-trained to deal with victims of sexual abuse. They will go to see our victims in person, wherever they are, answer any queries they may have.

“Many of those sent to Medomsley were first-time offenders... These days they might be dealt with by issuing a caution, or putting in place a restorative solution designed to keep them out of the criminal justice system.

“We owe it to all the former inmates of the centre to investigate every possible lead and ensure no stone is left unturned.”

– Det Supt Paul GoundryAround 60 detectives have been assigned individual cases. They will take initial statements in a few weeks time.

Source

Medomsley Abuse Scandal: 80 People Contact Police To Report Ordeals

By Kevin Donald Location: Medomsley

More than 80 people have contacted police to report abuse they suffered as inmates at a centre for young offenders in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

In August this year detectives from Durham Constabulary announced they were launching a fresh investigation into claims young men sent to Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett, County Durham, were subjected to abuse at the hands of staff.

The unit had a capacity of over 130, but at any one time typically held around 70 offenders, mainly from across the north of England.

Many were first-time offenders and had been detained for relatively minor crimes. The centre was closed in 1988.

In 2003 a previous police investigation, ‘Operation Halter’, led to the conviction of Neville Husband, a prison officer at the centre.

Husband was initially sent to jail for eight years after being found guilty of abusing five youngsters. The publicity surrounding the trial then led to others coming forward and Husband was subsequenty jailed for a further two years for these attacks.

After being released from prison he died from natural causes in 2010.

So far the new investigation has led to 83 victims coming forward whom police were previously unaware of. The other callers have been potential witnesses or people ringing in with additional information.

Around 60 detectives, drawn mainly from the force’s major crime team and safeguarding units have now been tasked with enquiries to conduct for the investigation which goes by the name of ‘Operation Seabrook’.

They are each being assigned individual victims to interview and take initial statements from, a process which should begin in a few weeks time.

The man leading ‘Seabrook’, Detective Superintendent Paul Goundry pledged all those who had come forward would be treated with the utmost care and sensitivity.

“We have experienced detectives working on this case including many who are specially-trained to deal with victims of sexual abuse.

"They will go to see our victims in person, wherever they are, answer any queries they may have and steer them towards the appropriate counselling services if they need them.

“This will be a lengthy process but I am confident we have the resources in place. We are also in regular contact with the Crown Prosecution Service who will ultimately advise on whether criminal charges should be brought.

“Many of those sent to Medomsley were first-time offenders, often detained for relatively minor offences. These days they might be dealt with by issuing a caution, or putting in place a restorative solution designed to keep them out of the criminal justice system.

“We owe it to all the former inmates of the centre to investigate every possible lead and ensure no stone is left unturned.”

Source

Medomsley Detention Centre: Abuse victims now total 83

16 October 2013 Last updated at 14:32

The detention centre closed in the late 1980s

More than 80 people have contacted police to say they were sexually abused at a former County Durham detention centre in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Medomsley juvenile detention centre was the focus of an investigation which saw Neville Husband and Leslie Johnson jailed for abusing inmates.

The case was reopened in August when a former inmate said he was also abused.
Det Supt Paul Goundry said: "We owe it to the former inmates to investigate every lead."

He added: "Experienced detectives will go to see our victims in person, wherever they are, answer any queries they may have and steer them towards the appropriate counselling services if they need them.
"We are also in regular contact with the Crown Prosecution Service who will ultimately advise on whether criminal charges should be brought."

'Secret abuse' Church minister Husband, who worked at the detention centre as a prison officer, was jailed for 12 years in 2003 for the abuse which is said to have happened between 1974 and 1984.

Neville Husband was jailed for abusing male inmates in 2003

Johnson, a store man, was sentenced to six years in 2005. Both are now dead.
Durham Police said "almost two dozen" victims were known to police in the original investigation.
Medomsley closed in 1988 after the abuse came to light. It has since reopened as a secure training centre.
In 2003, Newcastle Crown Court heard how 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.

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.

Many of those sent to Medomsley were first-time offenders often detained for relatively minor offences.

Source

Police pledge over Medomsley abuse claims as 80 people come forward with allegations

Police pledge on abuse claims

POLICE have pledged to leave no stone unturned as it is revealed that more than 80 people contacted them to report abuse they suffered as inmates at a County Durham centre for young offenders in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

In August detectives from Durham Constabulary announced they were launching a fresh investigation into claims young men sent to Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett, were subjected to abuse at the hands of staff.

In 2003, a previous police investigation led to the conviction of Neville Husband, a prison officer at the centre.

Husband was initially jailed for eight years after being found guilty of abusing five youngsters. The publicity surrounding the trial led to others coming forward and Husband was subsequently jailed for a further two years for these attacks.

After being released from prison, he died from natural causes in 2010 at his home in nearby Snows Green, Shotley Bridge.

His friend, storeman Leslie Johnson, was jailed for six years. He too has died.
The new investigation has led to 83 victims coming forward whom police were previously unaware of.

Police say the callers include former inmates who said they were victims of Husband, those who were victims of at least one other person and also those who say they were abused by staff.

The other callers have been potential witnesses.

The investigation will consider allegations of abuse which took place both in the centre and off-site.
Sixty detectives, drawn mainly from the force’s major crime team and safeguarding units, will be part of the investigation called Operation Seabrook.

They are each being assigned individual victims to interview and to take statements - a process which should begin in earnest in a few weeks time.

Detective Superintendent Paul Goundry, who is leading the inquiry, pledged all those who had come forward would be treated with the utmost care and sensitivity.

He said: "Many of those sent to Medomsley were first-time offenders, often detained for relatively minor offences.

“These days they might be dealt with by issuing a caution, or putting in place a restorative solution designed to keep them out of the criminal justice system.

“We owe it to all the former inmates of the centre to investigate every possible lead and ensure no stone is left unturned.”

The centre was closed in 1988 and later reopened as the privately-run Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in 1999.

Source

Monday, 14 October 2013

Victim of prison officer abuse scandal urges more to come forward to help police investigation

By Kate Proctor

14 Oct 2013 09:46

Richard Hall, 50, believes up to 100 boys were abused at Medomsley Detention Centre in Consett, County Durham during the 1970s and 1980s

A victim of the region’s most notorious abuse scandal is urging others suffering to break their silence.
Child sex attack victim Richard Hall believes up to 100 young boys were preyed upon by depraved Neville Husband, a prison officer, who orchestrated a ‘revolving door’ of abuse.
Waiving his right to anonymity Mr Hall, now 50, said he believes at least 20 more boys were abused at Medomsley Detention Centre in Consett during the 1970s and 1980s on top of the 80 victims already known about.
Today he is making a plea to other potential victims to come forward to support Durham Police’s latest investigation into senior managers who may have ‘turned a blind eye’.
“We were lambs to the slaughter. For Husband it was like a candy shop with a revolving door of young boys,” said Richard, who has struggled to rebuild his life after enduring a string of horrific attacks aged 16.
“Husband used to read the files and he would pick the vulnerable kids where they wouldn’t have any visitors or family. I’d been in care since I was three weeks old. He would swot up on their backgrounds and pick you to work with him in the kitchen.”
In 2003 Husband, who became a minister in the United Reformed Church in Gateshead in 1994, was jailed for eight years for molesting five boys at the facility for young offenders between 1975 and 1981.
He died in 2010 aged 72.
In August this year Durham Police re-opened their investigation with Detective Superintendent Paul Goundry tasked with unravelling crimes which happened to boys taken ‘off-site’ and ‘potentially, senior management turning a blind eye’.
Det Supt Goundry said: “It’s heartbreaking. The young men who were sent to Medomsley potentially only had one offence, their first offence, and if you came under the care of Neville Husband there was every possibility you would be sexually abused and raped.
“If there were officers who ignored evidence about a paedophile ring at Medomsley then they will be traced and investigated too.”
Richard, who lives in Newcastle, spent three months in custody at the centre in 1980 for being a passenger in a stolen car.
His abuse started within days in a room above the kitchen.
However, he knows of other boys who were blindfolded and taken off-site in Husband’s car.
“What he did to the ones he took away in his car is unspeakable and it was more than one person involved.
“One boy could tell by the pairs of shoes he could see when he looked at the floor through his blindfold. On one occasion it was at least four.”
Richard, alongside the other victims who helped convict him in 2003, follow the case intently and believe the real figure of those abused is closer to 100.
He said: “We’ve had 60 come forward this summer on top of the 22 around the time of the original trial but from people close to the centre of the investigation I’ve heard it’s now nearing 100.
“For those who stood by and let it happen now is the time to wipe the slate clean because one day police will be knocking at your door.”

Source