Eastwood Park, located in Gloucestershire, is now a women’s prison. But from the 1960s to 1980s, it was a detention centre for boys aged 14 to 17. These young offenders were sent there to be disciplined and rehabilitated however during their time at Eastwood Park Detention Centre, many boys experienced terrible abuse from the very staff members who were supposed to care for them. This abuse included but was not limited to physical violence, verbal cruelty and racism, corporal punishment and sexual assault.

One officer, Patrick Devaney, was convicted of misconduct in 2023 for his actions at Eastwood Park. He harmed over 100 boys in his care, and survivors described his behaviour as “sadistic” and “cruel.” He would physically, sexually and emotionally abuse the children in his care, as well as making them fight each other, creating a violent and unsafe environment. He would also force them to exercise until they were exhausted and vomiting.

A number of boys gave evidence at the court case against Devaney, describing what happened to them. They were abused as soon as they arrived at the centre and told that it was “discipline.” Claiming a “short, sharp, shock” was needed to rehabilitate them.

The Government has now confirmed that there will be a compensation scheme for anyone who suffered physical or sexual abuse at Eastwood Park during their detention.

The scheme defines physical and sexual abuse as an assault using intentional and direct physical force.

We are now actively submitting applications to the scheme and urge anyone who suffered from physical or sexual abuse whilst resident at Eastwood Park to contact us to begin the application process for you.

If you wish to, you may report your experience to Avon and Somerset Police. You can do this by calling 101, or report online.

We know it can be extremely difficult to talk about past abuse. Revisiting these memories can be painful, but we are here to support you.

Our experienced team understands the sensitivity of these cases. We will work with you to make a claim through the compensation scheme, helping you get the justice and financial compensation you deserve.

The scheme is expected to officially launch soon, so it’s important to act quickly. Contact us today to start the process.

We are here to help survivors of abuse. To speak to our expert team, call us on 0113 320 5000.