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Abuse of young inmates at Medomsley Detention Centre could have been so severe that it breached their human rights.

That's the view of legal experts who are joining the Chronicle in calling for a public inquiry into the treatment of detainees at the County Durham youth facility.

We have teamed-up with local legal firm Ben Hoare Bell LLP and the Student Law Office at Northumbria University to campaign for a full open inquiry into the horrific physical and sexual abuse suffered by hundreds of inmates at Medomsley.

Five former Medomsley employees had been convicted of misconduct in a public office for the roles they played in the brutal abuse suffered by vulnerable young men and boys.

But solicitors at Ben Hoare Bell, which represents more than 400 former inmates, believe some of the abuse could have been so severe it breached Article 3 of the Human Rights Act, which states "no one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."

And they argue that failures of the authorities to protect detainees from such treatment is one of the compelling reasons why a public inquiry is required.

And Jonny Hall, solicitor and executive lead for the Student Law Office said it was essential that any breaches of the Human Rights Act in a state-run detention centre are fully investigated.

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

He said: "We would say there's definite breaches of Article 3. These inmates were in the care of the state, and when the state does something like that it has got to be looked at how and why this happened."

"These breaches of the absolute and fundamental Article 3 right not to be subject to torture, inhuman and degrading treatment urgently need to be publicly investigated. Failing to do so shows lack of respect for the human rights of vulnerable people and fails to uphold the rule of law.”

Jonny says not all the abuse suffered by inmates, while still serious and criminal, would not constitute breaches of Article 3.

However, during the trials of officers, at Teesside Crown Court, incidents that crossed the threshold were revealed.

One such example came in 1975 when Christopher Onslow, the officer in charge of physical training at Medomsley, threw rocks at an inmate who had become stuck on top of a cargo net on an obstacle course. He fell to the ground but was forced to his feet and had to walk, in excruciating pain, to the medical room. When he was eventually taken to Shotley Bridge Hospital he was found to have three crushed vertebrae and was in a body cast for several weeks.

To date, more than 1,600 men have contacted police to say they were either physically or sexually abused while being held at the detention centre, mainly in the 1970s and 80s."

Built in 1960 on the site of a Victorian orphanage, near Consett, the centre was designed to house offenders aged 17 to 21 and keep them out of prison and away from the influence of older criminals.

(Image: Mirrorpix)

The centre could hold more than 130 inmates, but at any one time it typically housed around 70 offenders, mainly from the north of England. Many were first-time offenders and had been detained for relatively minor crimes.

Inmates typically spent six to eight weeks at the Home Office-run centre before being released.

Durham Constabulary launched Operation Seabrook in August 2013 after a victim came forward to report being abused while being held at Medomsley Detention Centre.

Predator Neville Husband had previously been jailed for 10 years for sexually abusing boys while working at the facility. He died at the age of 72 in 2010.

But following publicity surrounding the launch of Seabrook, hundreds of men came forward to make allegations that they were physically or sexually abused by different staff members at Medomsley.

The abuse is alleged to have taken place mainly in the 1970s and 1980s.

Christopher Onslow, 73, John McGee, 75, Brian Johnson Greenwell, 71, Kevin Blakely, 67, and Alan Bramley, 70, were all convicted of misconduct in a public office, in relation to their time at Medomsley.

Onslow was also also convicted of three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), one of inflicting grievous bodily harm (GBH) and one offence of wounding with intent to cause GBH, and was jailed for eight-and-a-half years.

McGee was also found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and locked-up for two years and 10 months.

Both have however launched appeals against their convictions for misconduct in a public office.

Blakely was jailed for for two years and nine months.

Greenwell and Bramley will be sentenced next week.