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Family of Katie Allan back bid to remove Crown immunity

Family of Katie Allan back bid to remove Crown immunity

Glasgow Times3 days ago
Ms Allan, 21, and William Brown, 16, both died by suicide in Polmont in 2018, with a Fatal Accident Inquiry finding both deaths were avoidable.
It concluded that a breach of the Health & Safety Act "materially contributed" to their deaths, but the prison system is protected from legal action by Crown immunity meaning Polmont or any other prison couldn't be found criminally responsible.
The Scottish Government has said it would scrap that immunity, which has previously been removed from the NHS and the police, but would need permission from Westminster to do so.
On Wednesday Labour MP Blair McDougall will present a bill calling for Crown immunity to be removed from prison estates.
The bill is being backed by Ms Allan's parents, with Mr McDougall their local MP.
Linda Allan told the BBC: "We've always said justice for us would be the removal of Crown immunity. There's no meaning in losing a child but it would be a legacy for us.
"It means that in death Katie has done something good. That her death hasn't been meaningless.
"It means that perhaps her death might save the lives of other people in the future.
"If you look for example at the police service, when it lost Crown immunity, safety standards started to increase in terms of cell custody and police stations.
"So you would hope the same would happen across the prison estate."
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