Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
A Reminder
THE PRIME Minister has today given his assurance that Durham Police will be given all the support they need as they deal with inquiries into allegations of sexual and physical abuse at a North-East detention centre.
David Cameron was responding to North West Durham MP Pat Glass during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons today (February 5), as she highlighted one of the largest investigations of its kind centred on Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett.
Mrs Glass’ intervention comes as police revealed 375 potential new victims had come forward since a new investigation was launched last August, into claims of abuse at the Home Office-run centre between the late 1960s and mid 1980s.
Mrs Glass said: “The Prime Minister will be aware of the investigation in the systematic beating, abuse and rape of young men and boys at the former Medomsley Detention Centre in my constituency.
“The victim toll has now topped 300 and this is the biggest investigation ever undertaken by Durham Constabulary – a relatively small police force.
“Will the Prime Minister commit that if it proves necessary, his home secretary will meet with the police and crime commissioner, the chief constable and myself to ensure that the highly successful team has the resources it needs to see this investigation to its conclusion?
“The victim’s deserve no less.”
Mr Cameron replied: “I am very happy to give the Honourable Lady that assurance, because I don’t support the police merger ideas of the past.
“I think some of our smaller police forces are hugely capable, but when they are doing very complex and large investigations like this on occasion they do need help and support - so we should make sure that is available.”
An earlier investigation led to a former catering officer at the centre, Neville Husband being jailed in 2003 for abusing a number of young men over a period of time. He died in 2010, following his release from prison.
Up to last Monday (January 27) police had spoken to 143 people, the vast majority of whom were victims who had not previously come forward.
The total also included a small number of possible witnesses or callers who had information which might help the police inquiries.
Coverage in The Northern Echo and a BBC1 documentary has since prompted a further 232 calls to police, bringing the total number to 375.
A police spokesman said: "All those who have rung over the last ten days will be seen by an officer over the coming weeks and steered towards the appropriate support and counselling."
Monday, 14 April 2014
Medomsley abuse victim hits out at former deputy speaker Nigel Evans' time limit suggestion
By Gavin Engelbrecht
5:53pm Monday 14th April 2014 in News
John McCabe
John McCabe, who endured months of horror at the hands of Neville Husband while serving a short sentence at the former Home Office run centre in the 1980s centre, said Nigel Evans was wrong to push for changes in the law.
Mr McCabe, 48, who has waived his right to anonymity said: “It does not matter how long ago the abuse happened. It has got to be dealt with and the culprits have to be brought to account.”
In a wide-ranging interview Mr Evans said it was time for Britain to follow the United States and most other European countries in bringing in a statute of limitations for sex abuse accusations.
Britain has time limits for other offences, but no time limit on sex offences. The average limit across Europe is 12 years, with 20 years in cases where the alleged victim is under age.
Durham Constabulary are investigating claims from 520 former Medomsley inmates who have come forward since August to say they were physically or sexually abused at the centre, near Consett, from the late 1960s to 1980s.
The centre first made national headlines in 2003 when Husband was sentenced to ten years in jail for systematically raping several teenagers. Mr McCabe learned of the convictions a year before Husband died at his Shotley Bridge home in 2010.
The renewed investigation, known as Operation Seabrook was launched last August after Mr McCabe and his East Kilbride MP Michael McCann had high-level meeting with Durham Police chiefs.
Mr McCabe said: “When I went after Neville Husband he was still alive – but he has now died. But I knew there were other people involved that were still alive.
“That is why I continued pressing for a renewed investigation - to make ensure that other persons were brought in and arrested and questioned and perhaps prosecuted with regard to the historical abuse.”
“I could not sit back and do nothing.”
Source
Saturday, 12 April 2014
Senior Government ministers twice warned over abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett
Exclusive By Gavin Engelbrecht6:30am Saturday 12th April 2014 in News
David Caldwell who died at Medomsley.
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.
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 Engelbrecht6:30am Saturday 12th April 2014 in Consett News
Inmates at Medomsley Detention Centre scrub the toilets
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.
"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
Thursday, 10 April 2014
Solicitors involved with the Medomsley cases so far.
Medomsley Detention Centre
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.
Medomsley Detention Centre Exposé
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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."
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
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.
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
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.
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:
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.
“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
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
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 goodchildWe 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
29/01/2014The 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 DixonLegal 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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
Source
Source
Wednesday, 9 April 2014
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
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."
Source
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."
Source
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