A sex offender, possibly the most prolific in British history, was allowed to abuse thousands of young people at a youth detention centre in County Durham. A report by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) has revealed that guard Neville Husband inflicted horrific sexual violence on boys at Medomsley Detention Centre which went ‘unchallenged’ by police and other agencies for over 25 years.
Commissioned in October 2023 by the then Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Alex Chalk, the PPO were asked to conduct an independent investigation into what the authorities knew about abuse which took place at Medomsley between 1961 and 1987, whether there were opportunities for them to have intervened at the time, and what action, if any, they took when faced with these opportunities.
Husband was jailed in 2003 for his abuse against five teenagers. He died in 2010. Several other members of staff were jailed for their role in the abuse of up to 2,000 teenagers being held at the centre after investigations by police between 2000 and 2023, known as ‘Operate Seabrook’.
The report highlights the culture of silence around the abuse that was taking place, with particular criticism levelled against Durham and Cleveland Police, who ‘were aware that physical and sexual abuse was taking place at Medomsley from as early as 1965 due to complaints of abuse made at police stations.’ It said police officers who ‘ignored, dismissed or took no action’ on receiving allegations of abuse ‘failed in their duty to report and investigate crime.’
The violence levelled against young people held at the centre was horrific, with former inmates recalling being raped by staff, having their bones broken, and being knocked unconscious. Former MP Laura Pidcock described the centre in her constituency as ‘a living hell.’
