Kirklevington abuse - Seven officers dead but still time for justice

Fighting for justice, fighting for answers, and fighting for someone to be held accountable for decades of both physical and sexual abuse at the Yarm institution. 

Between the 1960s and 1990s, Kirklevington was a place where boys as young as 14-years-old would “cry themselves to sleep” after being smacked, punched, and whipped with keys. 

And, despite 12 years of investigations from Cleveland Police through Operation Magnolia, not one abuser has been dragged before the courts to answer for their actions. 

Almost 1,000 victims have reported their abuse to police and at least 21 suspects have been interviewed as part of the probe. 

But time is ticking - and, for many victims, justice is slipping through their fingers. 

As victims get older, so do the officers who inflicted indescribable pain upon them. 

And today, The Northern Echo has revealed that seven of those 21 suspects have already died before any charges could be brought before them.

“Forgotten” survivors say they feel former officers have “escaped justice by dying” in a “cruel twist to life” - and “should be prepared for nothing to come” of the investigation. 

This is simply unacceptable. 

HMP Kirklevington in Yarm (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

Victims have been shackled by their own physical and emotional trauma for decades, desperately waiting for justice to arrive. It hasn’t. 

As officer after officer dies, they now face the prospect of not seeing one single person held accountable for their actions. 

It is unacceptable that the police force investigating these barbaric acts have made victims feel forgotten, with no hope of ever getting justice. 

And if nothing is done soon, there will never be justice. 

Last month, we called on Cleveland Police to urgently prioritise its investigation, increasing spending, resources, and transparency. 

We also called for a settlement scheme, so victims can receive compensation for their abuse and a formal apology without having to endure complex legal proceedings. 

And today, politicians from across the region have backed our calls, saying the investigation  “must be treated as an urgent priority and should be given the resources that it needs”.

They have described the abuse as what it is - horrifying and deeply distressing - and backed our calls for action. 

Action for the hundreds of victims, some of whom are now in their 60s and 70s. Action for those survivors that are no longer with us. 

Seven officers may be dead. But 14 are still alive. It’s not too late yet. 

Now is the time. Justice must be done.