Durham Constabulary has been contacted by over 1300 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 the biggest investigation into child abuse in the UK.
As part of the Police investigation into the abuse statements have been obtained from former inmates and several former members of staff have been identified and formally interviewed. The complex Police investigation into the abuse is ongoing. It had been hoped that by the middle of 2016 the Crown Prosecution Service would have reached a decision as to whether former officers of the detention centre would be charged with criminal offences arising from the abuse they inflicted on inmates. Unfortunately, however, due to the complex nature of the case and the scale of the investigation we do not expect a charging decision to be made for several more months and most likely not until next year.
In the meantime we at Ben Hoare Bell LLP are investigating claims for compensation for former inmates who were subjected to abuse by staff at the detention centre. We represent a large number of former Medomsley inmates already 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 with us please do not hesitate to contact our team on 0191 516 0466 or by email to advice@benhoarestaging.local
Blog by Andrew Freckleton, Solicitor
