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Government urged to close 'irredeemable' secure training centre

A group of 36 children's rights advocates are urging the government to close a secure training centre (STC) where staff use pain-inducing restraint to control children.

A strongly-worded letter sent to children's minister Nadhim Zahawi and Justice minister Edward Argar, said the institution was "irredeemable".

Signatories include former children's commissioner for England Maggie Atkinson; and charity bosses Deborah Coles, executive director of Inquest; John Simmonds, director of policy, research and development at charity CoramBAAF; and Kathy Evans, chief executive, of Children England.

Staff at Medway STC were found to be continuing to use "force and restraint" to deal with "children's passive non-compliance", according to a joint inspection report published last month.

This was despite such practices being exposed in a BBC Panorama investigation three years ago, which led to charges being brought against eight members of staff.

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