UK YOUTH PRISON

Calls for inquiry following teenager suicide verdict

A distraught mother today demanded a public inquiry into the death of her 14-year-old son, who hanged himself in a privately-run secure unit. After a jury returned a verdict of suicide for the teenager, the coroner expressed concern over the treatment of Britain's young inmates.

Adam Rickwood hanged himself with his shoelaces in his room at the Serco-run Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham in August 2004. He was the youngest person to die in custody for 25 years. Following a month-long inquest at Chester-le-Street magistrates' court, the Durham coroner, Andrew Tweddle, called for a clearer understanding of rules on the use of force to restrain young inmates. The inquest had heard that Rickwood, of Burnley, in Lancashire, had written to his mother saying he would kill himself if he was not taken out of the 42-bed unit, located 150 miles from his home.

The teenager had been sent to the centre, on remand, in July 2004 and died just over a month later despite repeatedly telling his mother of his fears. The jury heard he suffered from emotional and behavioural problems, drink and drug abuse, and had suicidal tendencies. Adam killed himself after a dispute with centre staff which saw him being forcibly carried to his room and restrained using a controversial "nose distraction technique" in which pressure is applied to the nose, the inquest was told.

Mr Tweddle ruled midway through the inquest that it was not his role to rule on the legalities regarding the use of force, and did not give any guidance to the jury in summing up the hearing. As the jury's formal verdict was announced that Adam took his own life, his mother, Carol Pounder, fled the courtroom in tears. "I want the government to set up a public inquiry into children that have been restrained for non-compliance," Ms Pounder said afterwards. "The jury heard evidence that they should not be restraining children for non-compliance. "What gives the right for four grown-up men to physically restrain my Adam, a 14-year-old boy? He was assaulted and was bloodied and bruised. If I'd assaulted Adam at home I would have been locked up."

Mrs Pounder said that she had "begged and pleaded" for help from social services since he was nine. Mr Tweddle called for a "most urgent and thorough" investigation and review of the interrelationship between the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, Secure Training Centre Rules, and the Directors Rules to avoid any confusion of what applies where and when. "That's of the utmost importance so there can be no ambiguity in anyone's minds; be it the young person, staff, management, the Youth Justice Board or indeed the government, as to when the use of force can be used to maintain discipline, good order and compliance is authorised."

The jury found that it was an appropriate secure training centre for the youngster, and that staff at the centre had acted appropriately during his short time there and specifically during the incident hours before his death. A spokesman for Serco said after the hearing: "This has been a very thorough investigation into the circumstances of Adam's tragic death. It has demonstrated that our staff do a difficult job and provided a very high standard of care when Adam was at Hassockfield."

31 May 2007

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2092690,00.html

home / Previous feature