Senior Government ministers twice warned over abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett

Exclusive By Gavin Engelbrecht
6:30am Saturday 12th April 2014 in News 

 

David Caldwell who died at Medomsley.

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SENIOR Government ministers were twice warned that young inmates were being abused by staff at a detention centre - but dismissed it as unfounded, The Northern Echo can reveal

The Home Office was alerted to allegations of violent abuse inside Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett, but both times failed to intervene.

A total of 520 alleged victims have since come forward to say they were physically or sexually abused in Medomsley after a fresh inquiry was launched by Durham Police in August.

Detectives say there is growing evidence of an organized paedophile ring operating at the Home Office run centre 30 to 40 years ago.

Documents from The Northern Echo's archives reveal, as early as 1967, Consett MP David Watkins wrote to Home Secretary Roy Jenkins to raise concerns over alleged brutality after a 17-year-old inmate from Stanley was hospitalised for five weeks His family claimed he was repeatedly attacked by prison staff and assaulted with a sweeping brush.

The accusations resulted in two other teenagers to claim they were also beaten and saw boys being kicked on the ground after collapsing with exhaustion during punishment exercises.
Nine days later, Home Office minister Lord Stonham said "careful inquiries had been made" and there was "nothing to substantiate" such claims.

Related links

• Medomsley Detention Centre: the "unpleasant…

A second chance to intervene was missed in 1982 when Mr Watkins called for a full inquiry into the running of Medomsley following the deaths of two teenage inmates.

The family of 17-year-old David Caldwell, from Hebburn, alleged he was beaten and given harsh physical training in the weeks leading up to his death from an asthma attack.

But a brief inquiry by Home Office minister Lord Belstead, at the height of paedophile prison officer Neville Husband's reign of terror inside Medomsley, found the maltreatment claims were unproven and cleared the centre of blame.

Mr Caldwell's sister, Carole Kyle, told The Northern Echo: "I feel the case should be reopened and the circumstances surrounding my brother's death investigated again.

"I wish that something had been done about it then. If they had it would have spared a lot more people the misery. They just got away with it . . . for years.

"Obviously if they were doing it to one person they would have been doing it to more. I feel those first investigations were a whitewash."

In 2003 - 16 years after the detention centre closed - Husband was jailed for systematically raping youngsters.

His storeman friend, Leslie Johnson, was jailed for similar offences. Both have since died.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "The outcome of the ongoing police investigation will be considered in due course. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

Source

Medomsley Detention Centre: the "unpleasant experience" which grew into brutality and sexual abuse

  By Gavin Engelbrecht
6:30am Saturday 12th April 2014 in Consett News  

 

  Inmates at Medomsley Detention Centre scrub the toilets

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GAVIN ENGELBRECHT trawls through The Northern Echo archives to uncover evidence that the authorities missed several chances to uncover the scale of abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre
 
WITHIN months of its opening, a Home Office minister said Medomsley Detention Centre was designed to be a place which young criminals would consider "an unpleasant experience".

No-one could envisage just how unpleasant it would turn out to be.

The now notorious centre, built in 1960 on the site of a Victorian orphanage, was one of a handful of new detention centres designed to hold offenders aged 17 to 21.

They were supposed to keep young offenders out of prison and away from the influence of older criminals.
But they were still designed to offer a tough introduction to life behind bars.

Speaking of the opening of Medomsley in 1961, Conservative Home Secretary Rab Butler told the House of Commons: "I rely absolutely on the regime in detention centres to be effective and strict".

Junior minister Charles Fletcher-Cooke spoke more bluntly of "unpleasant experience and enforced discipline".

Medomsley opened in February 1961, with around 30 staff looking after 75 inmates.

The Northern Echo reported it would offer "simple and secure" accommodation while providing "a short, sharp lesson" for inmates.

"It will provide the usual sort of regime of a detention centre: brisk activity under strict supervision, early morning physical training followed by domestic duties and work".

The report referred to "the quietest-ever opening" of an official building adding: "the event passed almost unnoticed".

The first allegations of abuse inside Medomsley surfaced six years after its opening.

Concerns about brutality were raised in August 1967 by David Watkins, the then recently-elected MP for Consett, when the mother of a teenage boy claimed he was repeatedly beaten by prison staff.

The 17-year-old, from Stanley, spent five weeks in hospital suffering abdominal and groin pain shortly after starting a three-month sentence for assault.

The teenager said he was kicked and punched by staff and beaten with a sweeping brush. He told his MP: "Officers were kick and thump happy. It was like a prisoner of war camp.

"I was kicked, hit and struck with various objects. The officers were vicious.

"When I got there I was thumped in the mouth because I had five cigarettes in my pocket."

As soon as the claims emerged, three recently released inmates independently contacted The Northern Echo to back up his story.

One 17-year-old claimed to have been thrashed across the bare chest with a studded belt and said fellow inmates would attempt to break their own arms and legs to be sent to hospital away from Medomsley. "It was like hell," he said.

A youth from Darlington claimed almost every new inmate was beaten on arrival, while boys were forced to bunny-hop, crouching down into a squat then jumping along a corridor.

Anyone collapsing with exhaustion were kicked until they continued.

A 20-year-old from Bishop Auckland claimed to have been punched in the mouth and had seen other boys lifted off the ground by being punched in the stomach.

He said the bunny-hop punishments went on into the night: "I have heard screams when I have been in bed at night, but nobody reports it in case they get filled in".

Mr Watkins contacted Roy Jenkins, Home Secretary in Harold Wilson's Labour Government, to highlight the allegations.


Just nine days later, the MP received a letter from Home Office minister Lord Stonham saying "careful inquiries had been made" and there was "nothing to substantiate" the claims.

It added that the hospital examination of the 17-year-old: "revealed nothing to support the complaint that he had been assaulted".

Mr Watkins, who died in August last year, told journalists: "I am now satisfied that the allegations are unfounded. I think that no value can be attached to what the boy and his mother allege".

The allegations pre-date the arrival of paedophile prison officer Neville Husband, who terrorised inmates during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Husband was in charge of the centre's kitchens, where he selected young men to be raped on an almost daily basis, then intimidated them into silence.

He was eventually convicted of rape in 2003 and sentenced to 10 years, but died of natural causes seven years later.
Prison inspectors visited Medomsley in 1977 and again in 1985, but found nothing untoward.

Indeed, the only criticism levelled in the 1985 report was of the kitchens, described as being in a "deplorable state".

However, the authorities had a second chance to uncover the truth about Medomsley in 1982, following the death of two teenage inmates in a matter of months.

In September 1981, 18-year-old diabetic Ian Shackleton died after slipping into a coma following a mix-up over access to his insulin.


How The Northern Echo reported the insulin death
Five months later in January 1982, 17-year-old David Caldwell, from Hebburn, suffered a severe asthma attack and was pronounced dead on arrival at Shotley Bridge Hospital.

Mr Caldwell, serving a three-month sentence for theft, was allegedly left unsupervised on Medomsley's medical wing for two hours as he deteriorated.

An inquest concluded that he died of natural causes, but also heard allegations he suffered physical abuse by prison staff in the weeks before his death.

Mother Sylvia Caldwell said her son suffered from chronic asthma, but was forced to do harsh physical training and was beaten.

His sister Carole Kyle told the inquest: "The bruises on his legs were caused by him being kicked around by prison officers.

"He said when they were scrubbing floors if they didn't say 'sir' it would happen.

"The first day he was there he didn't say 'sir' and he was hit and slapped across the face."

The deaths prompted Mr Watkins to call on the Conservative Government to hold a full inquiry into Medomsley.

Ministers agreed and it was carried out in February and March 1982, while Husband was still in post.
A report, published six weeks later by Home Office minister Lord Belstead, found that allegations of maltreatment made by the family could not be substantiated and cleared the detention centre of blame.

It said: "Medomsley has a good record in the medical and other spheres and I hope that what happened in these very sad cases will not be allowed to obscure the facts."

Again, Mr Watkins accepted the findings of the inquiry saying: "There is no question of their having been maltreated in the detention centre".

By now, Margaret Thatcher's incoming Government had introduced its "Short, Sharp, Shock" regime to detention centres, in the belief tough military-style discipline would provide a better deterrent.

New inmates at Medomsley would spend the first two weeks of their sentence scrubbing floors and there was a greater emphasis on physical training.


In March 1985, the Home Secretary Leon Brittan, pictured above right, visited Medomsley and praised the positive impact the new regime was having. He told reporters: "Most of them don't like it. They find it particularly a shock at the beginning."

Medomsley eventually closed in 1987 and it would be more than a decade before the scale of abuse perpetrated behind its walls would emerge.

Source

Solicitors involved with the Medomsley cases so far.

 

Medomsley Detention Centre

Medomsley Detention Centre in County Durham provided the so-called ‘short sharp shock’. A police investigation was started following allegations of sexual abuse.

Medomsley Detention Centre is the subject of a re-opened investigation and recent publicity into the sexual abuse of young offenders in the 1980’s. In 2003, Neville Husband and Lesley Johnson (who have since died) were convicted of sexually abusing boys at Medomsley.

Members of our team have successfully obtained five-figure settlements for people who suffered abuse at Medomsley. We are currently helping other former inmates with compensation claims.

As part of their investigation, Durham Police are encouraging other victims of abuse at Medomsley to come forward. 

Source 

 

Medomsley Detention Centre Exposé

Posted on 24 January, 2014 by christine

 

More than a 120 victims have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre in County Durham.

The centre operated a “short sharp shock” regime between 1975 and 1990. The phrase “short, sharp shock” means “a quick, severe punishment” and was used under the Thatcher government, when the then Home Secretary Willie Whitelaw introduced the treatment at detention centres for young criminals (advertised as part of the 1979 Conservative Party Manifesto).

Inmates were subjected to brutal violence from some staff members with victims reporting they had been forced to submit to rape after having a bread knife held to their throat while another victim said he had been ligatured, blindfolded and raped by three men after a member of staff had taken him off the detention centre premises.

The rise in allegations follows a police announcement in August stating they would re-investigate child abuse claims from the 1970’s and 1980’s and appealed for victims who had not previously come forward to do so.

The investigation was re-opened following a former inmate coming forward. Durham police have said they intend to have interviewed all new alleged victims by early this year.

The investigation also comes following the conviction of a prison officer at the detention centre for teenage boys in 2003 at Newcastle Crown Court. Neville Husband, a former Gateshed clergyman, was convicted of sexually abusing five inmates between 1974 and 1984, after pleading not guilty. In 2005 Husband’s sentence was increased to 10 years after new victims came forward and he admitted to four more attacks. Husband left prison in 2009 but the 72-year-old, of Shortly Bridge, County Durham, died the following year.

Father-of-one Husband, the main perpetrator who was in charge of the kitchens at the Borstal from 1975 to 1981, may have hand-picked hundreds of boys to abuse on a daily basis over a 17-year period. Previous investigations carried out by Durham Constabulary in 2002 and 2005 resulted in two more men being convicted. Another member of staff at the detention centre near Consett, storeman Leslie Johnson, was imprisoned for six years for abusing a boy at the centre. Johnson also died after being released from prison.

In 2006, it was revealed there were documents showing Husband had been investigated for importing homosexual pornography into the prison service 10 years before he preyed on inmates at Medomsley.

Statements given to police by prison officers who worked with Husband suggested suspicions were rife about his preference for young boys in the kitchens, where sex toys and pornography were found when searched.

Transcripts of interviews also revealed thousands of indecent pictures of children were found on computers seized from Husband’s home and a URC church office. Further evidence emerged that colleagues of Husband suspected he was molesting boys at the time but did nothing.

The centre closed in 1988 after the abuse came to light but has since reopened as a secure training unit.
Jordans Lead Child Abuse Solicitor, Lisa Jackson, said: “Jordans has acted on behalf of a many victims of Medomsley Detention Centre for a number of years and continue to do so. Durham police have confirmed to us that there will be an expose on Medomsley Detention Centre on BBC Inside Out, Monday 27th January 2014. We hope that viewers will gain a better understanding of the horrific crimes that took place.”

Source

 

Medomsley: potential civil claims following historical institutional abuse

• January 31, 2014
• Legal insight
• By  Stephanie Prior 

Another report in the press has highlighted horrific abuse at a former County Durham Detention Centre.  According to press reports, men detained at Medomsley Detention Centre were subject to sexual and physical abuse by prison officers employed there.

One such prison officer, Neville Husband, was convicted of numerous offences and sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2003 and another employee, Leslie Johnson who was a store man, was convicted and sentenced to 6 years in prison in 2005.   Newcastle Crown Court heard that Mr Husband “used his position of authority” when employed at Medomsley to inflict abuse on detainees from 1974 to 1984.  He was found guilty of 10 counts of indecent assault and one of serious sexual assault after at least 24 victims came forward. Messrs Husband and Johnson are both now deceased.

Durham Police reopened the investigation in August 2013 and so far 143 alleged victims have come forward. One such victim has been reported as saying “Some of the boys would lie at the bottom of the stairs and ask another boy to jump off the stairs onto their legs so they could break a leg and be removed from Medomsley Detention Centre in order not to be subjected to any more beatings”. 

This seems to be an extraordinary way of detainees trying to protect themselves from sexual abuse and beatings. This would seem a desperate measure to protect each other from further harm and abuse.

The sickening part of this is that most of the detainees were sent to Medomsley for minor offences such as petty theft and many were first time offenders.

Tim Newell was the governor at Medomsley from 1978 to 1981 but he prepared a report stating that Mr Husband provided “an outstanding contribution to the running of the establishment”.  This of course cannot be true as there are currently 70 police officers in Durham involved in this enquiry.

Even the Director General of the prison service at the time of the offences coming to light, Martin Narey, has said “Without reservation I apologise to people at Medomsley who were harmed by Neville Husband. We should have stopped him much earlier.”

In the same vein as Operation Yewtree it would appear that people knew that the abuse was taking place but did very little to stop it or prevent it happening to others. Institutional systemic abuse in such institutions as the BBC and Medomsley must have been common knowledge at the time. However, it has taken many years to bring the perpetrators of the abuse to justice.  Jimmy Savile died before he could be brought to justice and the victims of his abuse feel cheated that he was not made to answer to them for the abuse he carried out in much the same way as the victims of Husband and Johnson who are now coming forward many years after the abuse was carried out.

Abuse, be it physical, sexual or emotional, can carry lifelong psychological difficulties for victims and it takes courage and motivation for victims to come forward and tell others what has happened.  I see many clients who are paralysed emotionally because of such abuse and they have extreme difficulty moving on with life as a consequence.

I fear that the institutional abuse such as that carried out at Medomsley was down to a small number of individuals who felt the need to exploit the detainees.  The detainees were vulnerable and incapable of protecting themselves at the time of the abuse, and after release from Medomsley they had to grapple with the harmful effects of the abuse and the stigma attached to being incarcerated at Medomsley and this in itself, for many, would have prevented them from disclosing such abuse to the police or other such authorities.

Source

 

Medomsley Detention Centre

09:39 - 27th Feb 2014 - by Taylor goodchild

We are currently representing a number of victims of systematic abuse whilst inmates at HM Detention Centre Medomsley, in County Durham.

Scott Taylor of  Taylor Goodchild Solicitors said, “We echo calls for an inquiry into the horrific suffering endured by those unfortunate to be sent

there. We will do all we can to assist those individuals brave enough to come forward, with sympathy and understanding, both in their contacts

with the police in their pursuit of justice and any future civil compensation claims. It can be embarrassing for victims of this type of sexual abuse

or physical abuse to come forward. It is vital that they do so to support the police investigation in what appears to be systematic institutionalised

abuse.”

Source 

 

Medomsley Detention Centre - Additional abuse allegations

29/01/2014

The BBC programme Inside Out aired on Monday 27th January detailed the scale of abuse and subsequent allegations of a cover-up that occurred at Medomsley Detention Centre between 1974 and 1984. The programme included a police appeal for victims and witnesses. Since Monday, Durham Constabulary state that 108 people have contacted the authorities, with the total number of victims said to be approaching 150.

Detective Superintendent Paul Goundry said they were focusing on three specific areas of the inquiry; finding out what happened over 20 years ago, holding the perpetrators to account (if alive) and supporting the victims. Speaking on the programme Goundry confirmed that 70 detectives were working on the investigation and had been faced with horrific reports of a brutal regime that subjected its young victims to years of torture, rape and serious sexual offences.

The Background

In 2003, Neville Husband was found guilty for 10 counts of indecent assault and 1 serious sexual offence, and sentenced to 8 years. This was later extended to 10 years after a further 12 victims came forward and Husband subsequently dropped his appeal. He served just over half this sentence before being released in 2009 and died a year later.

Husband was first arrested in 1967 for the illegal importation of homosexual pornography into a prison but he was never charged as he claimed they were for research purposes.  He was allowed to start work in the prison service and it is alleged that the first of his offences took place at Portland Young Offenders Institution before Husband was moved to Medomsley.

After 17 years at Medomsley, Husband was reportedly forced to leave in either 1985 or 1986 over allegations of abuse and was transferred to Frankland Maximum Security Prison then to Deerbolt Young Offenders Institution in Barnard Castle, County Durham. During his time at Deerbolt, further allegations of sexual abuse were raised against Husband, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute as the claims were deemed "not to be in the public interest." Husband returned to Frankland, where he received a promotion to senior officer.

A second employee from Medomsley, Leslie Johnson, was sentenced for 6 years in 2005 for sexual abuse offences.

Recent Allegations

It is believed the new allegations and the continued police inquiry has led detectives to examine claims of a cover up intended to mask the true extent of the offences and in particular the level at which senior management "turned a blind-eye."

Fellow prison guards have claimed that Husband was given special treatment by the numerous governors and senior management figures during his 17 years at Medomsley to help cover up the abuse.

The Director of Prison Services has apologised to victims insisting "we should have stopped him much earlier."  Tim Newell, Governor at Medomsley between 1978 and 1981 said "If I had any suspicions about sexual abuse or abuse of any kind I would have taken action. If staff knew about the abuse taking place I am very concerned they let the abuse continue."

So what can the victims do?

If you were the victim of abuse at Medomsley – or any other institution – we realise it is not about the money.  However, significant compensation may be available for the suffering caused as a consequence of repeated and serious sexual assaults – additional compensation may also be given to fund counselling treatment.

Watson Woodhouse Solicitors have a team of specialist civil solicitors who have experience in successful actions, against both private individuals and public authorities, relating to historic abuse cases.

We will assess each case individually and help you through the process with the sensitivity and confidentiality you deserve.  We will recognise the impact the abuse may have had upon other areas of your life, such as mental injury, breakdown in family relationships, housing issues and issues with other public authorities such as the Police.  We have a significant overlap of these specialist areas at Watson Woodhouse which means our solicitors will work together to provide you with all the support you need.

We understand the financial compensation will not heal the hurt and years of pain, but it will at least provide an acknowledgement from the authorities involved that they failed to protect young, vulnerable men in their care.

If you would like any more information on how we deal with cases of historic abuse, or if you were a victim of abuse at Medomsley or any other institution, please contact one of our solicitors.

Source

 

Abuse Lawyers Back Investigations Into Medomsley Juvenile Detention Centre

Fresh Concerns Over Site After More Victims Raise Abuse Allegations

27/09/2013

By Rob Dixon

Legal experts who represent victims of abuse have welcomed Durham Police’s ongoing investigations into allegations of abuse in relation to Medomsley juvenile detention centre, with the latest reports suggesting 64 more people have come forward in relation into the site.

Church minister Neville Husband and store man Leslie Johnson, who are now both deceased, were jailed in 2003 and 2005 respectively for abusing inmates at the site in the 1970s and 1980s. The case was reopened last month when a former inmate came forward to state he was also abused.

According to the BBC, Durham Police have now confirmed that in the past month they have been contacted by 64 more people and expect that the number may grow further. Around two dozen victims were known to police during the original investigation.

Irwin Mitchell’s specialist abuse lawyers, who represent victims who have suffered severe physical and psychological trauma as a result of abuse, have said the revelations are not uncommon in cases of this nature.

Rachel Di Clemente, a legal expert at Irwin Mitchell’s Newcastle office who helps victims of abuse gain justice over the ordeals they have endured, said: “In so many cases, people with concerns over abuse only feel encouraged to speak out when they know their voices will be heard. This is often after others have already come forward.

“It is vital that Durham Police work to thoroughly investigate all of the latest allegations in relation to this detention centre, with the ultimate aim of getting to the bottom of the extent of problems at the site once and for all.

“With the number of people who have come forward, it appears there are many who have concerns over what took place at the site and they will all want answers over the issues.

“It is also possible that a thorough investigation leads to vital lessons being learned and ensures that efforts can be made to ensure the same issues are simply not repeated in the future.”

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in relation to Neglect and Abuse claims

Source






27/01/2014
The police have been re-examining historic sexual abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre in County Durham in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

It is believed that over 100 victims have come forward who were systematically abused.
Previous investigations resulted in Senior prison officer Neville Husband and caretaker Leslie Johnson convicted of sex offences. There is now new evidence to suggest that abuse at the institution was known about. Alan Reed, Prison officer at Medomsley DC 1974 to 1984 said:

“At the time I was at Medomsley with Husband… I did hear rumors he was interfering with the boys. That was usually the “banter” in prison amongst staff.”

Police are certain that there are many more victims out there. Detective Superintendent Paul Goundry, Durham Police has said:

“This investigation will put victims at the heart of the inquiry … We would like to hear from anyone who has new information about Medomsley and the abuse that occurred both inside and when inmates were taken off-site.

“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.”

A BBC documentary, Inside Out, will be broadcast tonight at 7.30 pm. It will have exclusive access as police investigate claims of abuse in the detention centre.

Systematic abuse like this is shameful. We have undertaken claims for many people who have been abused in detention centres. We urge people they should report it to the police and take legal advice.

Source 

 

Abuse claims lawyer welcomes announcement of fresh investigation at detention centre

Medomsley Detention Centre is under the spotlight as allegations of abuse emerge from dozens of people

27 January 2014
Alison Millar who represents people abused at Winterbourne View and Swaylands School in Kent, said that in coming forward and telling what happened to them,  the victims of Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett have ensured that those involved or who condoned the actions of the main perpetrators can be held to account.

After announcing that they were starting a new investigation into allegations of abuse at the centre 143 people came forward to tell of their experiences at the centre.

Detective Superintendent Paul Goundry, of Durham Constabulary, said: "We said from the outset this was going to be a long and complex investigation which we fully expect will last at least another 12 months.
"So far we have been contacted by more than 140 former inmates of Medomsley, who have reported they were victims of either sexual or physical abuse at the centre between the late 1960s and the mid-1980s.

"The accounts we have heard have been horrific and have shaken some very experienced detectives who are working on this.

"It is obviously distressing to hear from so many victims, but at the same time I am relieved they have shown the confidence in us to get in touch and allow us to help them.

"Our efforts are directed not just at establishing what happened in Medomsley over that period but ensuring the victims are left in a better place and get the support and advice they need."

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.

Alison Millar, a partner in the human rights team at Leigh Day said:

“To give evidence having experienced such horrific abuse is an ordeal in itself, as it brings to the surface many memories those who have been abused have tried to suppress over many years.

“However without this bravery those who facilitated, as well as those who perpetrated, these crimes could not be held to account.”
Source 

 




Medomsley Detention Centre – Child Abuse Investigation

 

A 10 year old investigation into child abuse at a former County Durham detention centre was reopened last year following further allegations against inmates and staff.
View original article here

The investigation was reopened in August, 2013. Since this time, Durham Police has received 143 statements documenting the crimes that took place.

Victim Speaks Out

Ray Poar has waived his right to anonymity and has spoken openly of his ordeal at Medomsley.

Mr Poar was 17 when he was placed in the facility – as punishment for stealing biscuits. He recalls being woken after wetting the bed, and being forced to bunny hop naked in the showers.
He said:

“When I couldn’t make it to the showers I was kicked. We knew we couldn’t turn around to them and complain to them about what had happened with Husband because they were part of it, they were the ones that were kicking us about every day.

The odd punch in the arm, the ribs, the back of the knees, every day they were doing it. You had nobody to talk to.”

The investigation highlighted Neville Husband and Leslie Johnson as being two staff members at the centre of the paedophile ring. The men were imprisoned in 2003 and 2005 respectively, and have both since died.

Renewed Investigation

Det Supt Paul Goundry has described Medomsley as a “brutal regime”, commenting that:
“If you ended up in the kitchens you would almost certainly be raped and sexually assaulted”
Mr Goundry has outlined three key objectives. These are to uncover exactly what happened, to then bring those responsible to account, and to offer support to victims.

If you think you, or someone you know, may have been affected by events at Medomsley – or by any similar case – and you would like expert advice, contact Hampson Hughes Solicitors today on 0800 888 6888 or email claims@hampsonhughes.com

Source

Medomsley Detention Centre abuse investigation reopens  

 

August 20, 2013

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.

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.

We understand that it is not unusual for those who were subject to abuse to come forward later in life. If you or somebody you know were subject to abuse please do not hesitate to contact Charles Derham our specialist child abuse solicitor. We will treat any communications with the strictest of confidence.

Source

Medomsley Detention Centre in County Durham is at the heart of a major police inquiry as hundreds of inmates have come forward claiming that they were physically and sexually abused by staff members between the late 1960s and the mid 1980s.  In 2003 Neville Husband and Lesley Johnson were convicted of sexually abusing boys at Medomsley.  Both men have since died.

In August 2013 the investigation was re-opened and since then over 550 victims of alleged abuse at Medomsley have come forward to Durham Police.

The specialist child abuse team led by John Hall, Managing Partner at Tilly Bailey & Irvine are currently representing former inmates to help them seek compensation damages from the Ministry of Justice for the abuse that they faced at the hands of this Government-run centre.

If you, or someone you know has suffered similar abuse, please get in touch with our specialist team of solicitors on our FREE Advice line 0800 052 6824.  Your claim will be dealt with sympathetically and confidentially

We offer all clients an initial FREE INTERVIEW and if we can assist you we will offer you a NO WIN, NO FEE arrangement.

Photo: John Hall, Managing Partner, Tilly Bailey & Irvine

 





Operation Seabrook Update – Medomsley Detention Centre 

8th July 2015Durham Constabulary has been contacted by over 1000 former inmates of Medomsley Detention Centre. Victims report that they were physically and sexually abused by members of staff at the detention centre between the 1960s and 1980s.

The investigation named ‘Operation Seabrook’ is now the biggest investigation into child abuse in the UK.

As part of the Police investigation into the abuse approximately twenty former members of staff have been formally interviewed about the abuse. Files have now been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service who will assess the available evidence with a view to make a charging decision by early 2016. It is then anticipated that any Trial would then take place towards Autumn 2016.

At Ben Hoare Bell we represent a large number of former Medomsley inmates in respect of compensation claims both to the Ministry of Justice and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

If you are a former inmate of Medomsley Detention Centre our initial advice is to:

Contact Durham Constabulary as soon as possible on 0345 60 60 365 to make a criminal complaint and cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation. 

Contact a solicitor specialising in the field of child abuse to discuss whether you are able to pursue a claim. There is no need to wait until the outcome of the criminal investigation before getting some advice.

If you wish to discuss a new enquiry please do not hesitate to contact our team on 0191 516 0466 or by email advice@benhoarebell.co.uk

 Legal Eagle: Abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre 

 With the current investigation at Medomsley Detention Centre, Rachel Thompson explains what you should do if you were abused at Medomsley, or at a similar institute.

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Prison officers' failings contributed to vulnerable boy's death, inquest rules

Jury finds staff at Hindley young offender institution failed to give 17-year-old Jake Hardy support after he complained of bullying 

Eric Allison 

The Guardian, Friday 4 April 2014 17.58 BST

Hindley young offender institution near Wigan. The jury said staff there failed to protect him and to investigate the bullying. Photograph: Alamy

An inquest jury has found multiple failings by staff at a young offender institution contributed to the death of a 17-year-old boy, who had been bullied by other inmates.

Staff at Hindley youth offender institution in Wigan have been accused of failing to give Jake Hardy proper support before hanged himself in his cell on 20 January 20 2012. He was taken to hospital but died four days later.

The teenager, who was serving six months for affray and common assault, had previously complained that he was being picked on and had said that he was better off dead, said the charity Inquest, which helps people bereaved by a death in custody.

An inquest jury at Bolton coroner's court found that he had died as a result of his own deliberate act but that there was not enough evidence to prove he intended to kill himself, and they highlighted a number of failures at the youth jail.

The jury said staff failed to protect him and to investigate the bullying. The jury heard he had been allocated a personal prison officer who had not studied his record and knew nothing of his vulnerabilities.

His mother, Elizabeth Hardy, said: "While we finally have some answers, as a family we have been shocked by the attitude of some of the officers, who clearly just didn't care that my son was being bullied.

"Other officers took such small steps and but never followed it through to the end. If they had done their job properly they could have prevented Jake's death.

"I feel distraught that Jake could have been moved to a safer cell the night he hung himself. Every day we have to wake up to this nightmare that Jake died and some officers could have helped him.

"Jake was too vulnerable and should never have gone to a place like Hindley to start with. I kept my son safe for 17 years yet Hindley couldn't keep him safe for two months."

Jake had special needs and had previously been bullied at school before he was sent to the jail in December 2011.

In his first week there, he said that other boys on his wing were trying to intimidate him, Inquest said, and a short while later said he would be better off dead and that officers "took the piss out of him".

On 17 January 2012 he cut his wrist and told staff that he had been suffering verbal abuse for "a prolonged period of time", and the following day his mother warned a senior officer that he had thought of ending his life.

Over the next few days inmates shouted through his cell door and kicked it, and he damaged furniture in his cell over the abuse.

On 20 January, a senior officer locked him in his cell, saying he was going home, and less than an hour later the teenager was found hanged.

He left a note saying: "So mum if you are reading this I am not alive cos I can not cope in prison people giveing [sic] me shit even staff", and had written on a complaint form that he wanted staff to "do their job properly".

The jury found that Jake's death was contributed to by failures to give him enough support, record his suicidal thoughts and reports of verbal abuse, and move him to another cell.

On the day he died, there were also failures to let him use the phone, protect him from other inmates, and review his risk of self-harm and the number of times he would be checked.

The family's solicitor, Helen Stone, said: "The jury have delivered a devastatingly critical verdict identifying a range of serious failings from the moment Jake entered Hindley until the time he hanged himself.

"He constantly asked staff to protect him from bullying, they failed to do so and this caused to him take his own life.

"As Jake said in the complaints form he wrote, all he wanted was for staff to do their job properly, they failed to do so, they failed him, and materially contributed to this child's death."

Deborah Coles, co-director of Inquest, said: "Jake Hardy was utterly failed by prison officers and a prison system supposed to protect him.

"Every warning sign about his vulnerability was starkly evident but systematically ignored.

"The decision to ignore the heartbreaking pleas for help from a scared child alone in his cell, resulting in his desperate act, should shame us all."

A Prison Service spokeswoman said: "Our sympathies are with Jake Hardy's family and friends.

"We will consider the findings of his inquest to see what lessons can be learned in addition to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman's investigation.

"Since Jake's death we have made strenuous efforts to make changes and share learning. This includes the circulation of a number of bulletins that highlight key learning points and suggested actions to establishments."

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Keir Starmer: Victims face 'unacceptable court ordeal'

  

A victims' law could change the way vulnerable witnesses are treated in court

Victims of violent crime face an "unacceptable ordeal in the courtroom", a former chief prosecutor has claimed.

Sir Keir Starmer said most victims had little faith in the system and many lacked the confidence to come forward.

Unveiling a raft of ideas which could form part of a new victims' law, Mr Starmer said vulnerable witnesses could be questioned by a trial judge, rather than cross-examined by a barrister.

He is part of a Labour taskforce making proposals for England and Wales.

The Conservatives said the government was already piloting new ideas to protect victims.

Victims 'deterred' Ahead of the first meeting of the taskforce, Sir Keir - who served as director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013 - said measures previously deemed "no-go areas" should be considered.

"The consensus pretty much is that most victims don't have the confidence to come forward and if they do come forward they say they'd never do it again," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

'A complete shambles'

Mary says she was a teenager when she reported an allegation of sexual abuse.
"I had to go to the station and be interviewed by a lone male police officer," she said.

"I heard nothing more until I got a letter telling me the trial date. I was not briefed, I did not meet the legal team. I knew nothing of what to expect.

"I was put on video link. I did not want to be on video link, I wanted to be in the room.

"I was asked probing questions, accused of being a prostitute, promiscuous, a drug taker.

"Victim Support called me and I had one or two meetings with an elderly lady.

"I felt like taking justice into my own hands. I wanted to break into his house and hurt him. No justice was being carried out by relevant authorities. A complete shambles - I have no faith in the system.

"I left feeling that sex offenders are in fact protected by the legal system. They are the ones who are prepped, conditioned and kept informed about the trial."

"Now that isn't good enough."

Writing in the Guardian, he added: "Most victims have so little faith in our criminal justice system that they do not access it at all."

Labour's taskforce is examining whether victims of violence or sexual abuse should be required to go to a police station to report a crime.

Sir Keir, who stood down as director of public prosecutions last year, said this requirement "puts many off from the start" and suggested this process could take place somewhere else.

He said the combative atmosphere of court cross-examination had obvious downsides for some witnesses, adding: "Perhaps judges should be given the task of questioning young and vulnerable witnesses?"

Making it compulsory for people working with children to report suspicions of sexual abuse could also feature in the victims' law.

The taskforce also includes Labour peer Baroness Lawrence, mother of murdered teenager Stephen, and Peter Neyroud, former chief constable of Thames Valley Police and now a criminologist at Cambridge University.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "It is time for a radical change in approach and I am delighted that the taskforce will look at the end-to-end service victims receive."

 

Sir Keir Starmer said many victims were put off giving evidence in court

On behalf of the government, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said more money than ever before was available for victims' services.

He said: "We are also piloting pre-trial cross-examination to help young and vulnerable witnesses give evidence without going through what can be an aggressive and intimidating court experience."

A new victims' panel would allow people affected by crime to tell ministers about their experience, he said.

He added: "We will continue to work with others to ensure victims get the help they need to come to terms with and recover from the traumatic effects of crime."

In Northern Ireland, a spokesman for the Department of Justice said it would soon be setting out plans for a "victim charter", while in Scotland a Victims and Witnesses Act came into force earlier this year.

Source

The syndrome of shame

10:36am Friday 4th April 2014 in
  Leader By Gavin Engelbrecht
 

 

Psychotherapist Zoe Lodrick

• 

HUNDREDS of young inmates of Medomsley Detention Centre who lived under a reign of terror have been left with a legacy and shame and guilt after suffering appalling abuse at the hands of staff.

Decades later, many may wonder why they did not struggle, scratch or scream and, in some cases, even developed positive feelings towards their abusers.

Even less likely is that they would have heard of the Stockholm Syndrome – something more commonly associated with hostage and kidnapping situations.

But the psychological phenomenon, also known as trauma bonding, may go some way to explaining the reactions of victims of historic abuse.

The phrase was first coined at the end of a six-day bank siege in the Swedish capital in 1973, to describe the irrational feelings of sympathy captives develop for their captors.

During the stand-off, the captives rejected help and defended their captors after they were freed.

Psychotherapist and sexual trauma expert Zoe Lodrick, who has made video for Durham Police, to help victims of sexual and physical abuse come to terms with what happened to them, says: “What many of victims of Medomsley would have experienced would have been serious trauma on a grand scale by a group of organised criminals, who were legitimised by their role in that organisation and who targeted very vulnerable people .

“It created trauma bonding, which happens when someone is exposed to a situation where they are faced with an interpersonal threat.

“The first element is someone is threatening to hurt them and they believe that person will carry out that threat. The second is that they are treated harshly, but that treatment is interspersed with small kindnesses.

And they are isolated from others and unable to escape. The symptoms are a positive feeling towards their abuser, which some of the victims may well have experienced, despite the fact that it makes no logical sense.

“At the same time, they also have negative feelings toward potential rescuers – anyone who might have been able to get them out of that situation. Stockholm Syndrome can develop after four days and some of this activity (at Medomsley) went on for four months and more.

“So people end up bonded and silenced by the Stockholm Syndrome, which many of the survivors don’t understand.

“They look back and think they were treated so horrendously and yet they may have had positive feelings towards the people who were mistreating them.”

Ms Lodrick adds many victims are also wracked with shame and guilt for not fighting back and cannot forgive themselves.

She says: “Logically, it would make sense to fight, run, scream or tell someone, but the victims of sexual abuse hardly ever do that.

“Any sexual offence examiner will tell you the vast majority of victims of sexual crime have little or no injuries – defence injuries, at least.

“But it doesn’t change what people think.

People’s perception is usually that they would fight, struggle, scratch or scream, and when they don’t it is very puzzling and difficult (for victims) to come to terms with.”

Zoe Lodrick says it is all to do with the survival reaction governed by the amygdala part of the brain, which deals with threats.

“The amygdala is like a smoke detector in the brain and its job is to filter and scan all the sensory input into the brain,’’ she says.

“If it detects threat, its job is to release chemicals into our body to prepare us to meet the threat.
“The amygdala will only prioritise survival.

All it cares about is this second, now.

“It couldn’t care about whether you feel ashamed in the future or whether you’ll have post-traumatic stress disorder. Its only job in that moment is to concern itself with survival.

The common reactions to threat are fight, flight, friend, freeze and flop, according to Ms Lodrick.

“If someone is threatening me I might go to a friend defence, whereby I smile in order to minimise the likelihood of being seriously hurt. Or I might start to talk to them to try and appease them. That is the first defence response,’’ she says.

To freeze is supposed to indicate submission to get the other person to back off.

“When it fails, the victim will flop or become physically malleable and yield to any physical or sexual impact, says Ms Lodrick.

“It is great news in terms of survival, because you are less likely to end up badly injured and less likely to end up dead.

“The rational areas of the brain are often overwhelmed by chemicals and often they are bypassed.

‘‘If the person does survive and survives well, with relatively little or no injuries comparative to what might have happened if they had tried to fight, the amygdala will reinforce that as having been successful. Therefore if they find themselves in a similar situation, they will instigate the same reaction.

“Rationally, people have no understanding of that and cannot explain it if people ask ‘why didn’t you fight?’ ‘‘The guilt and shame that follow are psychologically healthy in that they give people hope.’’ She adds: “The reality is that no victim of sexual or physical crime is responsible for what happened to them. It doesn’t change the fact that people often feel guilty and ashamed.

“Durham Police have been excellent in signposting victims to the appropriate services.”

Notice

Durham Constabulary would like anyone who has suffered abuse or has information which may assist the enquiry to contact them on 101 or 0345 60 60 365.

A call handler will take the caller’s details which will be referred to the ‘Operation Seabrook’ team. Further contact and investigation will then be carried out by specialist detectives who are highly trained and experienced in dealing with sensitive abuse cases.

The investigation is being lead by a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO), Det Supt Paul Goundry and a Deputy SIO, Det Chief Insp Brad Howe.

NSPCC FREEPHONE HELPLINE (24 hrs): 0808 800 5000
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children                                  

The helpline is available for anyone who has concerns about a child or anyone including adults who wish to discuss their own experience of abuse as a child or young person.

Contact can also be made via e mail : help@nspcc.org.uk  or by text 88858
Contact can be made anonymously if the caller so wishes.

NAPAC
National Association for People Abused in ChildhoodFreephone (from landline or a Virgin, Orange or 3 mobile) 0800 085 3330.

If you are calling from a mobile provided by O2, Vodafone or T-Mobile an alternative freephone number is 0808 801 0331. This is not a 24 hr service 

The Meadows:
The Meadows Sexual Assault Referral Centre (Darlington and Co Durham) 0191 301 8554
The Meadows will accept calls between the hours of 9am-3.30 pm Monday to Friday and can arrange one-to-one counselling sessions and can make referrals to similar centres throughout the UK.

Counselling does not involve discussing what has happened in relation to the assault, it aims to help you work through your feelings to aid the healing process.

Staff at the Meadows will not contact the police without your consent unless there are current concerns in respect of a child or vulnerable adult. 

Crime up since last year

12:00am Tuesday 1st April 2014 in News  
 By Gavin Havery, Reporter (Derwentside & Tyneside)

 

 

Ron Hogg

OVERALL crime in County Durham has risen in the past year, figures have revealed.

Durham Constabulary has seen year-on-year reductions in recorded crime between 2006 and 2013, which resulted in a 44 per cent fall in offences and almost 24,000 fewer crimes.

But during the past 12 months there has been a 10 per cent increase in crime compared to the previous year.
County Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg, said: “Despite this increase in recorded crime, County Durham and Darlington remains one of the safest places in the country to live, work and visit.

“We have solved more crimes this year and continue to have some of the best performance for this in the country.”

The types of crime which has caused the increase relate to drug offences, violent crime and sexual offences and theft.

Mr Hogg said increases in violent crime and sexual offences largely relate to a higher volume of historical incidents that are being reported in response to the Jimmy Savile investigation.

He said Durham Constabulary’s investigation of the Medomsley Detention Centre illustrates that victims are now confident to come forward.

Mr Hogg said: “We will continue to deal with such crimes effectively and sensitively, ensuring that the victim remains at the heart of everything we do.”

The increase in theft and stealing offences are predominantly in relation to shoplifting where the most commonly stolen items are food, toiletries and clothes.

Mr Hogg said people are now less likely to be victims of household burglary or having items stolen from their vehicles”.

Durham’s Chief Constable Mike Barton, said: “Durham Constabulary continues to put victims first, investigating and solving crime and community problems.”

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