A damning official report has revealed the horrifying scale of abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre, where what began as a 'strict and tough' regime descended into systematic physical and sexual violence that authorities ignored for 26 years.
The Brutal Regime
From its opening in 1961 until closure in 1987, Medomsley Detention Centre in County Durham operated under a brutal military-style regime that saw violence become embedded in its culture. Young men aged 17-21, convicted of relatively minor crimes, faced immediate physical abuse upon arrival - including being headbutted, having their heads slammed into walls, and being dragged by their hair.
The so-called 'short, sharp shock' approach meant staff believed violence was an acceptable training method. Prisoners were beaten for minor infractions like having hands in pockets or failing to address officers as 'Sir'. The cruelty extended even to medical treatment, with some inmates having painkillers taped to their foreheads and told to run until the pills dissolved.
Neville Husband's Reign of Terror
Despite the already violent environment, nothing prepared detainees for the systematic sexual abuse perpetrated by catering officer Neville Husband, described in the Prison and Probation Ombudsman's report as 'possibly the most prolific sex offender in British criminal history'.
Between 1969 and 1985, Husband committed at least 388 offences against boys as young as 17, turning the kitchens into his personal domain where he groomed and abused young men as part of his daily routine. The scale of his offending was so extensive that other staff members felt intimidated into turning a blind eye.
The desperation of his victims became tragically apparent when some trainees resorted to eating glass, nails and razor blades in hopes of being hospitalised to escape his torment.
Systemic Failure and Complicity
The 202-page report by Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Adrian Usher found that leaders at Medomsley were either aware of the abuse and therefore 'complicit', or displayed such a lack of professional curiosity that they were incompetent. External oversight from the Prison Service, police and Home Office was equally poor, with complaints from families routinely ignored.
Mr Usher stated: 'The abuse at Medomsley continued, unchallenged, for the entire 26 years of its operation. The authorities failed in their duty to keep detainees safe.'
As of August 2025, the Government Legal Department has received 2,831 claims alleging sexual and/or physical abuse at the facility, though the true number of victims is believed to be significantly higher.
Victims' Harrowing Accounts
The report includes chilling testimony from survivors like Ray Poar, who was 17 when sentenced to three weeks for stealing from a biscuit factory. He described being raped by Husband 'pretty much every day' during his detention.
'When he first raped me I put up some defence and he choked me unconscious,' Mr Poar recalled. The abuse had lifelong consequences, leaving him suicidal and unable to work for years.
Another victim, Eric Sampson, described his nine and a half weeks at Medomsley as 'hell on earth', noting that police officers who delivered him warned he would 'have the hell kicked out of you'.
Multiple accounts describe Husband enlisting other inmates to assist in abuse, including one incident where he ordered young detainees to pin down a new arrival and sexually assault him with a broom handle while Husband directed the attack.
Lasting Impact and Unanswered Questions
The report concludes that victims have never received an official apology, and the trauma they suffered became 'a life sentence' with devastating consequences. Husband's offending likely extended to other borstals where he worked, suggesting the full scale of his crimes may never be known.
Husband was eventually jailed in 2003 for abusing five teenagers at Medomsley, though his victims are believed to number in the hundreds. He died in 2010, while his accomplice Leslie Johnston, who participated in some assaults, died in 2007 before Operation Seabrook could bring him to justice for additional crimes.
Mr Usher expressed hope that the report represents 'a victory for your tenacity, determination and courage' for survivors who fought for decades to be heard and believed.
