Former Medomsley inmate speaks out after ex-prison officer at County Durham facility convicted
Watch Helen Ford's report from 1 March
A man who says he suffered horrifying abuse at the former Medomsley Detention Centre in County Durham, has told ITV News Tyne Tees that the full scale of wrongdoing may never be uncovered.
Eric Sampson, who has waived his right to anonymity, was seventeen when he was sent to Medomsley Detention Centre near Consett in the 1970s.
The centre in County Durham was for male offenders aged 16 to 21. It was open during the 60s and 70s, and was designed to give inmates a "short sharp shock".
Mr Sampson says that violence against him began within minutes of his arrival to the facility, and his time at the centre of around 10 weeks, has left permanent scars.
He said: "There was violence on a daily basis. Morning, dinner time, tea time and a night time.
"It's totally ruined my life altogether. I have mental health problems and I am not frightened to admit that. It just totally ruined my life.
"It never goes away. It's in your head all the time. That place stopped me from getting married and having a family."
Mr Sampson added: "I feel bitter because in my eyes they've only got thirty per cent of the truth. The other seventy per cent's still out there."
Mr Sampson's allegations have never been tested in court.
His words come after a jury at Teesside Crown Court found former prison officer Alexander Flavell guilty of indecent assault and of misconduct in a public office on Tuesday 28 February.
It brought an end to a lengthy investigation into the site, which closed in the 1980s.
Operation Seabrook conducted by Durham Police has investigated allegations of abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre spanning the 1960s to 1980s.
During the course of its inquiries, the force say more than two thousand people came forward with allegations of abuse and mistreatment.
Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Ashton said: "There were previous investigations to that with proceedings brought against a quite notorious offender called Neville Husband.
"This has been going on for nearly two decades and that illustrates the scale and the damage that's been done to the victims and their lives."
In 2019, five former prison officers were jailed for a total of more than 18 years for abuse of former inmates. These were Christopher Onslow, John McGee, Alan Bramley, Kevin Blakeley and Brian Johnson Greenwell.
The latest case of Alexander Flavell was held as a trial of the facts. The 89 year-old was ruled unfit to stand in the witness box due to having dementia.
Former MP for North West Durham, Baroness Armstrong, who was first elected just before Medomsley closed in 1988, says the state played a key role in what happened.
She said: "These young people, as they were then, were very badly treated and as I say, it wasn't just the men who did it to them, it was the state that employed those men that should have made sure that didn't happen. So the state, the government, has a responsibility."
A government scheme has enabled many former inmates to claim compensation after suffering abuse.
While Operation Seabrook has now ended, Durham Police are still urging anyone who suffered abuse to report it, or to seek professional support.
Listen to ITV News' What you need to know podcast: