Howard League responds to Prison and Probation Ombudsman report on abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre

The Howard League for Penal Reform has today (Wednesday 12 November) responded to the report of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman’s special investigation into abuse that occurred at Medomsley Detention Centre between 1961 and 1987.

Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “It is almost impossible to comprehend the scale of physical, sexual and psychological abuse that occurred at Medomsley across three decades. Thousands of young lives were ruined beneath a cloak of secrecy while many of those with the power to make it stop either contributed to the torture or turned the other way. The details are unbearable, but everyone in public life should read the findings of this essential investigation.

“The appalling accounts shared in the report must alert everyone to the reality of what can happen in places of detention when appropriate safeguards are not in place. If they wished to make a complaint, the young men and children in Medomsley had to write directly to the people who were responsible for their abuse. While we would hope that it would be much harder for such behaviour to go unchecked today, no one should be complacent; the ombudsman has observed that the complaints process for children is broadly the same as it was then.

“Almost 40 years after Medomsley’s closure, there remains a tolerance of everyday inadequacy in the treatment of children in custody that must be challenged. The ombudsman has, quite rightly, left it to all bodies referenced in the investigation to examine their organisational consciences and determine if there is any action taken today that would diminish, even fractionally, the trauma still being felt by victims. They might also review current procedures and reflect on what could be improved.”

Notes to editors

1. The Howard League for Penal Reform is the oldest penal reform charity in the world. It is a national charity working for less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison.
2. The Prison and Probation Ombudsman’s report is available on its website.

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Noor Khan
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