Press release from Black Women's Rape Action Project (bwrap@rapeaction.net), 06/12/10

On 6 December at 2pm Ms Jane Uyi was physically assaulted and verbally abused by several SERCO guards during one of their routine monthly searches of women’s rooms.

Ms Uyi and her room mate were body searched by two male officers and one female officer. Their room was then ransacked. An officer known as Clifford was threatening and abusive and called her an “illegal immigrant and a prostitute” breaching her confidentiality by revealing aspects of her asylum claim to other women and officers present. Deeply upset at the ferocity and viciousness of the officers, Ms Uyi shouted back and demanded that he put the room straight. The woman officer began to help but was prevented by Clifford who called for back up from his manager. On arrival instead of asking what had happened, the manager and two officers bent both Ms Uyi’s hands back, and pressed her against the wall. They pulled out some of her hair. Several of the other women who had come to the room on hearing the disturbance saw what was happening. One tried to defend Ms Uyi but was pushed away.