Christmas Opening – Please note that our Annitsford Office will be closed from Tuesday 24th December, our Newcastle and Ashington Offices will be closed from Friday 20th December until Thursday 2nd January 2025.

Medomsley Detention Centre Abuse Claims

Browell Smith & Co Solicitors would like to remind our clients that we are here to support victims of historical abuse and sexual abuse, like those of you who have suffered at the Medomsley Detention Centre. Any claimants via Browell Smith & Co Solicitors will receive 100% of the compensation due to them. Here, Philip Browell, Solicitor and Kirsty Dockerty, Legal Clerk at Newcastle law firm Browell Smith & Co, outlines the steps to take if you would like to pursue a claim for historical abuse:

What happened at Medomsley Detention Centre?

If you were not already aware, Medomsley Detention Centre was a male youth Detention Centre in Consett, County Durham where thousands of men between the ages of 17-21 have claimed they were abused. The Detention Centre opened in around 1961 and operated until 1998 when it closed. The claims have been against prison guards and include physical, mental, and sexual abuse. Five of the prison officers have now been jailed.

An ongoing Criminal investigation entitled ‘Operation Seabrook’ was formed by a task force at Durham Constabulary in 2013. This is one of the largest Police investigations in the UK. Since then, many members of staff have been convicted for abusing the men who were detained there. The most recent case is currently ongoing, more details here.

Is there a scheme specific to victims from Medomsley?

A Scheme has been developed by The Medomsley Steering Group that can provide compensation to former inmates at present in relation to physical abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre. The compensation through the Scheme is based on the length the victim was detained and can also include compensation for lasting psychological or physical injury which must be based on medical evidence.

The Physical Abuse Scheme involves three different categories for compensation:

Category 1
Your sentence at Medomsley was for three months or less and suffered abuse: £1750.00 in compensation

Category 2
Your sentence was for more than three months and suffered abuse: £2500.00 in compensation

Category 3
You have medical evidence to prove that you suffered a lasting physical or psychological injury as a direct result of the abuse from Medomsley: between £3000.00 and £5000.00 compensation

Don’t delay – contact our expert team today.

Kirsty Dockerty

Legal Clerk - Personal Injury & Medical Negligence

Philip Browell

Solicitor & Senior Director

Making a claim for historical abuse

Call Kirsty Dockerty on 0191 250 3213 or email kirsty.dockerty@browells.co.uk

If you believe that you were mistreated at the hands of Medomsley or another organisation or individual, contact a reputable personal injury solicitor who can advise on your best options.

Browells has been handling historical sexual abuse cases for decades and is experienced with helping victims from Medomsley, amongst other cases. Contact us for professional and transparent advice to determine if you have a claim.

Request a Callback

Request a callback and our team will be back in touch as quickly as possible for a free initial consultation. We're continuing to deliver a quality service and our teams are available to take new enquiries and manage existing caseloads via calls and/or video conferencing.