Parents of tragic Katie in plea over jail suicides

THE family of a student who killed herself in custody have demanded action to halt the ‘spiralling epidemic’ of suicides in Scotland’s jails.

The parents of 21-year-old Katie Allan, of Glasgow, who took her own life at Polmont Young Offenders Institution, yesterday met Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf to call for reform.

Their plea came after 16-year-old William Brown – also known as William Lindsay – killed himself only 48 hours after being sent to Polmont on remand.

Katie was sentenced to 16 months after a drink-driving offence in which a pedestrian was injured.

Her father Stuart Allan said: ‘It’s so important that people who go into the care system or into prison are treated with respect and humanity. We have wit-

‘Catastrophic failings within justice system’

nessed what happened to Katie – we don’t want that to happen to anybody else.’

He said the family had used the talks to highlight the ‘catastrophic failings within the criminal justice system’, adding: ‘We wanted to make clear to Mr Yousaf the tragic experiences Katie endured are not unique. You only have to look at the tragic death of 16-year-old William Lindsay.

‘The long list of failings which has led to Katie, William and many others taking their own lives under the care of the Scottish Prison Service, in particular Polmont prison, is simply unacceptable.’

Mr Allan and his wife Linda met Mr Yousaf with their lawyer Aamer Anwar, who claimed there could be 12 suicides in Scottish jails this year.

Mr Anwar also alleged there is a ‘spiralling epidemic of suicides in our prisons’.

At Holyrood yesterday, Mr Yousaf said: ‘Any death of a young person is a tragedy. I am determined that appropriate early actions are taken to ensure the safety and well-being of young people in custody.’