A female prison officer is facing charges after a video showing her engaging in sexual intercourse with an inmate in a cell at HMP Wandsworth was shared online. The officer, Linda De Sousa Abreu, appeared in Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court charged with misconduct in public office. De Sousa Abreu is a 30-year-old mother from Fulham, South-West London and a Portuguese national. She confirmed her name, address and date of birth in court.
De Sousa Abreu was arrested at Heathrow Airport after notifying the prison of her travel plans. She has been released on conditional bail and is due to attend at Isleworth Crown Court on 29 July. The charge accuses her of wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducting herself in a way that amounted to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office holder by engaging in a sexual act with a prisoner in a prison cell.
The Metropolitan Police initiated an investigation last Friday “after officers were made aware of a video allegedly filmed inside HMP Wandsworth.” This case is the latest in a series of high-profile scandals involving sexual misconduct by staff members towards inmates. The government has expressed its commitment to stamp out corruption in the prisons and called for stricter regulations and thorough background checks on prison officers
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