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A closing letter from the Operation Deerness leads

Published:

To whom it may concern,

My name is Richard Tucker, and I was appointed by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) in October 2023 to lead Operation Deerness, the independent special investigation into the abuse suffered by detainees at Medomsley Detention Centre between 1961 and 1987.

I was supported in this investigation by my Deputy Senior Investigator, Sarah Kirwan and a team of dedicated investigators from the PPO.

I am writing to let you know that our role in the investigation into Medomsley Detention Centre is now complete. The results of the investigation are contained in our report, which is now being finalised and will be published later in the year.

This investigation has been challenging, both due to the distressing nature of the abuse that took place at Medomsley and its obvious impact on victims, and to the sheer volume of police investigation material and other source material which needed to be assessed.

During the course of the investigation, we have spoken to many witnesses, both victims of abuse and their families, former members of staff at Medomsley and other witnesses with specialist knowledge of Medomsley or the issues concerned.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone that has assisted the investigation by providing information or by bravely sharing their stories with us.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Tucker
Senior Investigator, Prisons and Probation Ombudsman

Sarah Kirwan
Deputy Senior Investigator, Prisons and Probation Ombudsman