Justice at long last for victims of abuser Neville Husband

Nov 21 2009 by Adam Jupp, The Journal

VICTIMS of a paedophile prison officer have been awarded damages of more than £500,000.

Neville Husband preyed on young inmates at the former Medomsley Detention Centre, County Durham, in the 1970s and 1980s.

Decades after his campaign of abuse, men he targeted found the courage to speak out and Husband was jailed for 10 years after two separate criminal cases were brought against him.

Evidence later emerged that colleagues of Husband, also a former Gateshead church minister, suspected he was molesting boys at the time but did nothing.

That sparked a compensation case against the Home Office and a landmark legal ruling determined Husband’s victims were entitled to damages even though more than 30 years had passed.

Now the Ministry of Justice has agreed to pay 12 men £528,000 for the abuse they suffered during their time at Medomsley.

One Tyneside-based victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said his joy at the settlement was tinged with anger at learning Husband was released last month.

He said: “It has taken us 10 years to get some sort of justice and now he is out of prison.

“What we have done has led to a change of law and that it is something good to come out of this as it will help other victims of the beast to seek compensation.

“We have got there in the end and it has been a long, hard struggle. In reality, it won’t change anything for me because I will still have the nightmares and it will be the same for other victims but life has to go on. At least this is some sort of victory to cling to and some sort of closure and now I can say that part of my life is over.”

Married father-of-one Husband, formerly of Shotley Bridge, County Durham, ran the kitchens at the borstal near Consett from 1975-1981 and later became a minister of Brighton Road and Cromer Avenue URC churches in Gateshead.

He hand-picked boys to work with him before attacking them. One had a bread knife held to his throat and another was attacked when he was caught stealing icing and marzipan from the store.

In February 2003, he was convicted at Newcastle Crown Court of abusing five youngsters and was jailed for eight years. The publicity surrounding the trial led to others coming forward and in September, he was jailed for a further two years for attacks on four others.

One of Husband’s victims was Kevin Young, 48, of Jarrow, South Tyneside, who served time at Medomsley for handling a stolen watch. He set up a support group for victims and is included in the compensation claim. The victory is set to pave the way for thousands of other victims of historic abuse to seek compensation. Previously, this could not be done if a claim was not brought within seven years.

The case was headed by David Greenwood, of York-based Jordans Solicitors. He said: “This was an extremely serious case in which Husband was a prison officer at the time. That makes it more serious because these victims were locked up, they couldn’t get away.

“They have stuck with this case through the ups and downs of the process and have got the settlements they deserve for the abuse Husband inflicted on them.

“These victims have been subjected to brutal and sickening attacks as teenagers from a depraved senior prison officer.

“The prison service had been aware Husband had an interest in grossly indecent material and another officer told police he suspected boys were being abused yet he did nothing to stop it.”