A former prison officer in the UK has been sentenced to 15 months in jail after being filmed engaging in sexual activity with an inmate. Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, was identified by senior prison staff when the footage surfaced online and quickly went viral.
Abreu was arrested at Heathrow Airport while attempting to board a flight to Madrid with her father. She had previously admitted to misconduct in public office.
Andrew Davy, the governor of Wandsworth Prison, expressed the broader consequences of Abreu’s actions in a statement to Isleworth Crown Court. He stated that her behaviour had undone “less than a day” of the years of effort that female staff had invested in building respect and trust in the all-male prison. Davy also noted that many female staff members reported being “hit on” more frequently by inmates and now felt “considered fair game.”
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The court heard that the incident captured in the viral video occurred between June 26 and 28. Further investigation revealed additional misconduct, including a recording of Abreu performing a sexual act on the same inmate discovered on her prison-issued body-worn camera. She admitted to having sexual relations with the prisoner on another occasion as well.
Judge Martin Edmunds KC described the viral video as part of a pattern of repeated misconduct rather than an isolated incident. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that investigations into the two prisoners identified in the video are ongoing.
A spokesperson for the Prison Service commented: “While the overwhelming majority of Prison Service staff are hardworking and honest, we are catching more of the small minority who break the rules by strengthening our Counter Corruption Unit and vetting processes. As today’s sentencing demonstrates, where officers do fall below our high standards, we will not hesitate to take robust action.”
The Prison Officers’ Association, which represents prison staff, acknowledged that corrupt individuals like Abreu undermine the efforts of their colleagues but emphasized that such cases represent a small minority.
