Several men who were abused by a paedophile prison officer 30 years ago have been granted compensation of over £500,000.
Neville Husband attacked young inmates while he worked at the former Medomsley Detention Centre, County Durham, during the 1970s and 1980s.
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Decades later, some of the men he abused plucked up the courage to speak out and Husband was finally imprisoned for 10 years after two separate criminal cases ended in convictions.
It was later revealed that colleagues of Husband, also a former minister at a Gateshead church, had suspicions that he was molesting boys under his supervision, but did not report him at the time.
That detail is what lead to a compensation claim being made against the Home Office and after a landmark legal ruling, Husband’s victims were awarded compensation despite the fact that more than 30 years had passed since the abuse took place.
The Ministry of Justice eventually agreed to make a total payout of £528,000 to 12 men for the abuse they suffered during their stay at Medomsley.
One victim, from Tyneside, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said that while he was delighted with the settlement he was also angry that 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.”
Husband, a married father-of-one, was in charge of the kitchens at the borstal near Consett from 1975-1981, later becoming a minister of Brighton Road and Cromer Avenue URC churches in Gateshead.
He would choose certain boys to help him in the kitchens before assaulting them. One victim described how he had a bread knife held to his throat, and another was attacked after being caught stealing icing and marzipan from the store.
In February 2003, Husband was convicted at Newcastle Crown Court of abusing five children under his care and was sentenced to eight years in jail.
The publicity surrounding the first trial gave other victims the courage to come forward and in September, he had an additional two years added to his sentence for attacks on four others.
Solicitors David Greenwood, who headed the case, 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.”