On 4 July 2006 INQUEST held a second Parliamentary Briefing on the call for a public inquiry into the death of 16-year-old Joseph Scholes in Stoke Heath Young Offenders Institution in 2002. A previous Briefing was held on 2 November 2003 by INQUEST and Nacro.

The Briefing focused on the shocking issues surrounding Joseph’s death and the treatment of children in the criminal justice system, including sentencing policy and the adequacy of practices, procedures and facilities to safeguard vulnerable children in custody.

Since the launch of the campaign in November 2003, backing for the public inquiry into Joseph's death has snowballed with over 170 supporters, including children’s charities, penal reform groups, leading members of the legal establishment, peers and MPs.Following the inquest into his death in April 2004 the Coroner also supported the need for a public inquiry. More than 100 MPs signed an Early Day Motion (EDM 1423, 30 June 2004) in support of the call, and a second Motion (EDM 2410, 20 June 2006) tabled by the Scholes family MP Chris Ruane has received renewed support.

Joseph was a deeply disturbed young boy who had been repeatedly sexually abused from an early age. On 24 th March 2002 he hanged himself in his cell at Stoke Heath Young Offender Institution in Shropshire . His death occurred just nine days into his two year sentence for street robbery.

Joseph's death raises serious issues about the ability of the state agencies to provide a safe environment to care for society's most vulnerable young offenders. His death also raises questions about the procedures for holding these agencies to account when they fail.

INQUEST and Joseph's mother Yvonne Scholes believe that the seriousness of this particular case, and the wider policy issues that it raises, warrants an independent and open judicial inquiry.

Deborah Coles, Co-Director of INQUEST, said:

“We know from INQUEST’s casework that child deaths are too often linked to failings in the community, the inappropriate use of penal custody for vulnerable children, inadequate treatment whilst in custody whereby the institutions are unable to care for the vulnerabilities of those that they detain. Child deaths in custody raise thematic issues that need to be addressed in a joined up manner through a properly resourced inquiry so that appropriate recommendations are made to ensure that lessons are learned and safeguards put in place to protect the lives of children in the future. The public interest case for a judicial inquiry remains urgent and pressing.”

The need to examine the tragic course of events that led to Joseph's death remains as pressing as ever. 30 children have died in state custody since 1990, with six further deaths since Joseph died, but there has still not been a public inquiry into any of these deaths.

Yvonne Scholes said:

“When mothers hand over the care of their children to the state, they expect a role to be fulfilled. When a policeman knocks on your door and tells you your son has died whilst in the care of the state, hundreds of questions have to be answered. Only a public inquiry can answer these.”

For a list of child deaths in penal custody since 1990 click here
To read the current briefing Why Are Children Dying In Custody? click here
To read the Joseph Scholes campaign briefing from November 2003 click here
To read a report on INQUEST's parliamentary briefing on child deaths in custody click here
To see which individuals and organisation have supported the call click here
If you would like to lend your support to the call click here
To read EDM 1423 tabled on 30 June 2004 (including the list of signatories) click here
To read EDM 2410 tabled on 20 June 2006 (including the list of signatories) click here
To find out more information about Nacro click here
To read the latest Joseph Scholes press release click here