Tragic teenager’s family take legal action over death
AFAMILY has launched a civil action against Scotland’s prison service and NHS Forth Valley after their “high-risk” suicidal son took his own life in a cell.
William Brown – also known as William Lindsay – died at Polmont Young Offenders’ Institution on October 7 2018, aged 16, days after being sent there on remand.
The teenager’s mother, Christine Lindsay, who is from Glasgow, believes her son was not safe in his cell and said it is her duty to “cry out for justice”.
She said Scottish politicians should “hang their heads in shame” over not taking more action to tackle suicide rates in the country’s prisons.
The Crown Office said in September 2019 that it would not bring charges against the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) over William’s death.
The family’s lawyer Aamer Anwar said SPS and NHS Forth Valley will be served with a summons on Tuesday October 26.
In a statement on behalf of the family, Mr Anwar said: “William was in the ‘high risk of suicide’ category.
“In the period 2012 to 2018, William had significant involvement with mental health services and was the subject of numerous assessments.”
The statement added: “Despite this information, we know he was removed from the observation cell and William was described as ‘being safe and secure’, and consequently was assessed as ‘no apparent risk’ and removed from the prison ‘talk to me strategy’.
“It is alleged he was not treated according to the standard operating procedures as a child should have been.”
On Saturday October 6, the family understand that William was in his cell on his own for long periods of time.
He was found dead the next day.
Mr Anwar said William’s family “no longer have any trust in the Scottish Government, the Scottish Prison Service or an FAI to deliver justice or the truth.”
After learning SPS would not be prosecuted, the family submitted a victims right to review (VRR) – a scheme which enables victims to seek a review of why the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service has decided to prosecute or not prosecute.
The VRR said: “The family of William Brown or Lindsay argue that SPS were under a duty to take reasonable care to prevent him while in custody from taking his own life deliberately. SPS failed to do so and caused or materially contributed to his death. William was an obvious high suicide risk.”