Husband, who worked as a prison caterer, Sunday school teacher, and Scout leader, was found to have raped and abused teenagers and young men at a detention centre in County Durham between 1969 and 1985. The inquiry concluded that he committed at least 388 sexual offences, though investigators believe the true figure could be far higher.
The report, released by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, suggests that Husband’s crimes likely extended beyond his time at Medomsley Detention Centre, potentially spanning several other institutions. The findings indicate he may have abused more victims than Jimmy Savile, whose crimes shocked the nation.
Abuse Hidden in Plain Sight
Husband, who died in 2010, created a regime of fear and exploitation in the Medomsley kitchens, where he worked as a senior officer. Many young offenders aged 17 to 21, sent there for minor offences, were subjected to systematic sexual and physical abuse.
According to Ombudsman Adrian Usher, Husband was “a powerfully built man and an arch manipulator” who “used power with devastating effect.” He not only intimidated the young men under his supervision but also coerced colleagues into silence.
The report found that the prison’s isolated location made escape or complaint almost impossible. “When Husband told them that if they spoke out, he could make them disappear, it would have been easy for them to believe it,” Usher wrote.
Failures Across the System
The investigation revealed a systemic failure by the Prison Service, police, and Home Office to protect detainees. Despite widespread awareness of abuse and violence at Medomsley, complaints were ignored or dismissed for years.
Usher said: “The authorities failed in their duty to keep detainees safe. There was knowledge of abuse, yet it was repeatedly ignored.”
Records show that physical and sexual assaults occurred during strip searches, medical exams, and daily work routines. One 1965 complaint about an officer striking an inmate was dismissed in writing as “playfulness.”
Honours and Betrayal
When Husband retired from the Prison Service in 1990, he was awarded the Imperial Service Medal for long and meritorious service. He later became a minister in the church, where he continued to hold positions of trust.
It was not until 2002, when Durham Police launched a large-scale investigation, that the extent of his abuse came to light. Husband was convicted in 2003 and 2005 for sexual offences and sentenced to prison.
Police have since apologised for failing to act earlier, acknowledging that many lives were destroyed by decades of institutional neglect.
