Former HMP Wandsworth Officer Linda De Sousa Abreu, Whose Video Went Viral, Jailed for Inappropriate Relationship with Inmate Amid Widening Prison Scandals

Linda De Sousa Abreu, a former HMP Wandsworth prison officer, has been handed a 15-month sentence for indiscretion and inappropriate behaviour unbecoming of a person in public office. Linda was filmed having sex with a prison inmate. The video soon became viral, and Linda was identified by senior prison staff.

According to the governor of Wandsworth, Linda’s actions brought to nought many years of work on behalf of female staff in all-male prisons.

Ex-HMP Wandsworth Officer Linda De Sousa Abreu Jailed After Viral Video

Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, was arrested at Heathrow when she tried to board a flight to Madrid with her father. She had earlier pleaded guilty to inappropriate behaviour in public office.

The incident also points to a worrying trend in prisons. It has been aptly described by the governor of Wandsworth in a statement given to Isleworth Crown Court, which reveals that female staff at the prison reported a surge in such activities and it was considered fair game.

The incident is reported to have happened in a cell between 26 and 28 June. Linda De Sousa Abreu had pleaded guilty to inappropriate behaviour in public office in July. The Metropolitan Police have also launched an investigation to identify the two prison inmates in the video.

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It was reported to the court that another recording of Linda De Sousa Abreu performing a sexual act with the same prison inmate was recovered from the prison-issue body-worn camera, and Abreu had admitted that she had sex with the prisoner on another occasion.

Judge Martin Edmunds KC, handing out the sentence, stated that it was not an isolated incident and was part of repeated behaviour.

A spokesperson for the Prison Service said:

“While the overwhelming majority of Prison Service staff are hardworking and honest, we’re catching more of the small minority who break the rules by bolstering our Counter Corruption Unit and strengthening our vetting processes. As today’s sentencing demonstrates, where officers do fall below our high standards, we won’t hesitate to take robust action.”

HMP Wandsworth has a dubious reputation and is often dubbed as the worst prison in England, with almost inhumane conditions.

The prison was also in the news in October when two prison officers were dismissed after joking about a prison inmate’s suicide on social media.

Post the suicide of the 21-year-old inmate, celebratory messages were posted on a WhatsApp group that had 27 members of staff employed at the prison.

Also Read: Full Video of Prison Guard Linda De Sousa Abreu Engaged in Sexual Act with a Prisoner Inside HMP Wandsworth Jail Goes Viral On Twitter, Reddit