The truth around allegations that I tolerated the abuse of children in custody at the hands of Neville Husband

1. Guardian Letters 20 April 2012
So former prison service boss Martin Narey declines to apologise for the
abuse at Medomsley. It makes you wonder whether he was suitable to be
chief executive of Barnado's, or, for that matter, the current adoption
tsar.
Robin Wendt Chester
Guardian Letters 11 May 2012
Martin Narey has called for an inquiry into the "over-representation by
Asian men in child exploitation" (Grooming offences committed mostly
by Asian men, says ex-Barnardo's chief, 9 May). What does he know
about child exploitation? As former director general of the prison service
and assistant governor of Deerbolt prison, Narey failed to apologise for
the widespread rape and beating of children when it was brought into the
open on his watch (How did Neville Husband get away with the horrific
abuse of teenagers in his care?, Weekend, 14 April)…
Cristel AmissBlack Women's Rape Action Project, Kiki
AxelssonWomen Against Rape,Nina López Legal Action for Women
The Press Complaints Commission consideration:
[The Guardian] newspaper published two readers' letters which
claimed that [Martin Narey] had refused or declined to apologise
for child abuse that had taken place in the prison system at the
hands of Neville Husband. The newspaper had been aware that
the abuse had taken place long before the complainant had even
joined the prison service, and that the victims had sued the Home
Office when he no longer was in the service and was not therefore
in a position to publicly apologise on its behalf. It had known that

2. there was no question of him declining to apologise to the families,
yet published the letters anyway. The complainant had contacted
the newspaper in regard to each of these inaccuracies but it had
consistently failed to afford him a right of reply.
RESOLUTION:
The complaint was resolved when…the following letter from the
complainant [was published]:
On April 14, Eric Allison and Simon Hattenstone wrote an important
piece about the historic abuse of children in custody by a Prison Officer,
Neville Husband. I took little issue with Eric's moving account.
Subsequently however the Guardian published two letters. The first said
that I had declined to apologise for the abuse (and because of that had
been unsuitable to lead Barnardo's as I did for six years). The second
implied that, as Director General of the Prison Service I had tolerated the
widespread rape and beating of children.
Husband's offending began when I was thirteen years of age and the
offences for which he was subsequently convicted took place in 1977 when
I was still at University, five years before I joined the Prison Service and
twenty one years before I became Director General. Later, when
Husband's victims sued the Prison Service, I had resigned from the
Home Office and was in no position to make a response. The Guardian
knew from E mail exchanges however, that I stood ready to make public
my personal apology, and that I had, many years ago, expressed regret
about the abuse.
I do not deny the appalling nature of Husband's crimes. But it should not
have needed me to complain to the Press Complaints Commission before
this letter was published to make clear that the abuse did not occur when
I was in a position of authority, and that I did not tolerate the abuse or
fail to express my regret for it.
I may have had many failings as Director General of the Prison Service.
But failing to address the abuse of prisoners of any age was not one of
them.

3. Taken from:
http://www.pcc.org.uk/news/index.html?article=ODAwMg==