Legal action launched over prison suicide
A family 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 aswilliamlindsay-diedatpolmont Young Offenders' Institution on October 7, 2018, aged 16, days after being sent there on remand.
The teenager's mother, Christine Lindsay, believes her son wasnotsafeinhiscellandsaidit isherdutyto"cryoutforjustice".
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 Anwarsaidspsandnhsforth
Valleywillbeservedwithasummons on Tuesday, October 26.
Inastatementonbehalfofthe family, Mr Anwar said: "William was in the 'high risk of suicide'category.intheperiod2012 to2018,williamhadsignificant involvementwithmentalhealth services and was the subject of numerous assessments."
Thestatementadded:"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 operatingproceduresasachild 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.
Mranwarsaidwilliam'sfamily "no longer have any trust in the Scottish Government, the
Scottish Prison Service or an FAI to deliver justice or the truth."
He added: "Corporate homicide is, of course, the correct legal term, but William's mother believes that what happened
tohersoncanonlybedescribed as 'state-sanctioned murder'."
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: "William was an obvious high suicide risk.”