A prison officer has been sentenced to 15 months for engaging in sexual acts with an inmate while on duty at HMP Wandsworth
London: A prison officer named Linda De Sousa Abreu has been sentenced to 15 months in jail for having sex with an inmate while on duty. This incident took place at HMP Wandsworth, and it all came to light when a video surfaced online.
Abreu, who is married, was caught on camera engaging in sexual acts with a prisoner. The video was shared widely on social media, leading to her arrest. She admitted to misconduct in a public office and faced the music in court.
During the hearing, she looked visibly upset, confirming her name but not saying much else. The court heard that she abused her position as a prison officer by having sex with an inmate in a cell.
The footage showed her in uniform, and it was filmed by the inmate’s cellmate. They were clearly having a good time, with the cellmate even commenting on how they were making history. It’s pretty shocking to think this was happening behind bars.
Abreu was arrested at Heathrow Airport while trying to leave for Madrid. She had informed the prison about her travel plans, but that didn’t save her from the consequences of her actions. She pleaded guilty and was granted conditional bail before her sentencing.
The prosecution made it clear that this was a serious breach of trust. They emphasized that no prison officer should ever act in such a way, and they were determined to hold her accountable. The prison service also stated that they do not tolerate staff corruption.
Interestingly, the court learned that this wasn’t her first time with this particular inmate. There were previous incidents, and one even involved her own body camera recording. It’s hard to believe she thought she could get away with it.
Abreu claimed she was scared for her safety during the incidents, saying she feared the inmates would harm her. However, the prosecution argued that her story didn’t hold up and that there was clear planning involved in her actions.
The governor of HMP Wandsworth expressed disappointment, stating that it took years to build respect for female staff in a male-dominated environment, and Abreu’s actions have undone that progress in no time.
In a related note, another female prison officer was recently arrested for similar misconduct at a different prison. It seems like this issue is more widespread than we’d like to think.
