Pressure grows for inquiry into Serco over Yarl's Wood sexual assault claim

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/may/19/inquiry-serco-yarls-wood-sexual-assault-claim

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Calls for an inquiry into how the private outsourcing giant Serco runs a detention centre for women are mounting as Labour demanded an immediate investigation into claims that the firm had failed to properly investigate sex abuse allegations.

Serco was forced to disclose a secret internal report revealing evidence that the firm did not adequately investigate a claim of repeated sexual assaults by one of its male staff against a female resident at the immigration detention centre in Bedfordshire.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said: "These are shocking allegations of a despicable nature.

"We asked the government to instigate a joint inquiry of Serco operations by the prisons and borders inspectors over two months ago. That action is now unavoidable and the government must accept our case and hold that inquiry."

She also said the culture of secrecy surrounding the UK's largest immigration detention centre for women should be addressed.

Cooper said: "The home secretary has refused access to Yarl's Wood by international inspectors from the UN and has so far refused to properly investigate a series of allegations at Yarl's Wood. That isn't right."

Rashida Manjoo, the United Nations special rapporteur into violence against women, was banned by the Home Office from inspecting Yarl's Wood last month, a decision that exasperated campaigners.

Manjoo has said she will examine the latest allegations involving the detention centre and may forward the claims to other groups including the UN's rapporteur on torture.

A statement from Serco said the sexual assault accusation had been investigated by the police and the Home Office's professional standards unit and there was no case to answer.

Norman Abusin, Serco's director at the Yarl's Wood centre, has stated: "All parties concluded that the allegations made against our employee were false and no criminal charges were brought." The company says sexual contact between staff and residents is "completely unacceptable".

Yarl's Wood is used mainly to house up to 400 women who are facing deportation. Cooper has previously called on the home secretary, Theresa May, to instigate a joint inquiry into Yarl's Wood by the prisons inspectorate and the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration.

A previous investigation by the chief inspector of prisons last October, prompted by reports that staff had engaged in sexual contact, recommended an urgent increase in the recruitment of female guards. The chief inspector, Nick Hardwick, said such behaviour could "never be less than abusive given the vulnerability of the detained population".

Serco is trying to restore its reputation following a series of scandals including one when it was found to have overcharged the British government on a contract to monitor criminals with tags.

It also follows revelations that Serco could be among companies to take over the running of privatised children's social services, including child protection, under proposals being considered by Michael Gove's Department for Education. Cooper added: "Immigration rules must be enforced, but they must be enforced in a humane way that upholds the values of our society. These allegations raise serious concerns that our system is failing to uphold those values."