Investigations into sexual harassment in prison soars four-fold as female inmate warns abuse is ‘rife’
The number of prison staff investigated for sexual assault or harassment increased by 400 percent, as a former female prisoner had to complain about a “creepy ör male civil servant.
According to the figures of the Ministry of Justice, a total of 237 prison staff in the UK and Wales, according to the figures of the Channel 4, faced allegations of sexual harassment or attack between January 2022 and March 2024. Only 63 of them were proposed to be dismissed.
This was compared with 49 investigations in a similar period ten years ago.
Beatrice Auty, who was imprisoned for money laundering, is afraid of sexual harassment and called for better investigations on “common” and inaccuracies in prisons.
The 28 -year -old child competed with a male officer who made “progress ve and interpreted the appearance of HMP Bronzefield, the British largest female prison in Surrey, when he was held in HMP Bronzefield in Surrey.
Despite the complaint, he was allowed to continue to work on the wing while under the investigation.
He claims that the man in his 40s is “famous ına because he has established inappropriate relationships with female prisoners in prison, operated by special contractor Sodexo.
“Just name and people just shudder,” Mrs. Auty said Independent. “The officer I approached to complain said don’t crawl to him.
“And even when I made a complaint, it took about four or five months to get a non -dated response, and only the issue was handled and that we were the only thing we need to do.”
He said he would realize that another woman had time in her cell when the door was closed: ım I didn’t think of anything until she commented on me by saying that she wanted to come to my cell and comment on my appearance. ”
He continued: “It just started by making comments about the look and progress. He would always see and see me even if nothing was in my case.
“He was coming to the point he claimed to want to meet outside.”
He believes that the officer, who has a lot of influence on sentence progress, is “hostile ğinde when he does not respond.
He was transferred to a different prison after he filed an official complaint about his behavior.
He spoke to other women who claimed that they had taken clothes by the same officer since he left Bronzield.
Mrs. Auty, who is currently studying criminology and is a member of the prison reform confidence, is a member of the Advisory Board, asks for more transparency and says that complaints should be investigated independently.
Among the prisoners, if they had inappropriate relationships with the prisoners, he claimed that the transport of the personnel to another block was a common information, and that this was ürüm a clear abuse of power ,, that many women were vulnerable and that they had sexual abuse outside.
“If this was a job, if you went to HR harassment, you hope that someone would cope with him properly and will be investigated, but they can do what they want in prisons because this behavior is acceptable because they leave the prisoners in the case,” he added.
“But in my mind is absolutely wrong, the worst, because there are too many vulnerable people who do not know that it is wrong.
“You are completely weak there. You feel like things you can’t tolerate outside, you feel to tolerate them because you can’t do anything about it.”
Mrs. Auty, who was sentenced to 42 months in prison for missing millions of cash from London to Dubai in 2023, shares her experience in a new channel 4 documentary British prisons were exposed – gender, drugs and corruption: not explained– Streaming from Wednesday, June 25th.
The documentary presented by former prisoner David Navarro revealed an increase in sexual harassment and abuse complaints with the demand for freedom of knowledge.
Coming later Independent Last month, prison officials, who were investigated for inappropriate relationships with prisoners, announced that they had almost doubled in five years.
The figures from the prisons in the UK and Wales show an increase in the personnel investigated for corruption, and in 2020, from 51 to 144 in 2020, researched for relations with prisoners.
In 2024, only 30 people, criminal charges, dismissal, transfers, official warnings or regrading, such as “management or high -level results çalıştur came across sanctions.
Former HMP Kirkham governor Kirkham Governor Kerri Pegg, who was sentenced to nine years in prison for having a relationship with a prisoner, is followed by a series of high -profile convictions, including Kerri Pegg.
In January, Linda de Sousa Abreu was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment after having sex with a prisoner within HMP Wandsworth just five months after the prison service.
“Although the majority of prison staff is honest, we catch more than the small minority that violates the rules through our counter -corruption unit and a stronger veterinary.” We take the claims of harassment or discrimination extremely seriously and do not hesitate to take action immediately where the allegations are confirmed. “
An HMP Bronzefield spokesman said: “Although we cannot comment on individual cases, we would like to make it clear that we are completely determined to provide a safe and safe environment for both prisoners and staff.
“Complaints from the prisoners are taken seriously, thoroughly investigated, and then followed appropriate action when necessary.”
“Although the majority of most prison staff is honest, we capture more than the small minority that violates rules through our counter -corruption unit and stronger veterinary.
“Where civil servants fall below our high standards, we do not hesitate to take solid action.”
