Prison guards received counseling for failing to get an 18-year-old inmate's baby medical attention after it was born in prison, but the inmate herself did not receive any, according to a report published last week by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
Realizing she was going to give birth, an incarcerated teenager, who was in prison for the first time for robbery, was pressing the cell bells and calling for help to have access to medical assistance as soon as possible. Her pleas were ignored, and she gave birth to the baby alone in a cell in September 2019 in Ashford, Surrey.
She reportedly passed out and then woke up to find her daughter not breathing.
The teenager was found in bed cradling the dead baby for more than 12 hours after telling prison staff that she needed an ambulance, and the baby's death was only discovered by two prisoners who raised the alarm.
Those who ignored her cries for help are still reportedly working at the prison, according to The Guardian.
Prisons and probation ombudsman Sue McAllister said that the inmate had a "bad attitude" - being an 18-year-old who refused medical care because she was afraid that she would lose her baby. She even stated that she would "kill herself" if her baby was taken into care but the prison would not improve monitoring.
A pathologist was unable to confirm whether the baby was born alive or stillborn. The prison stated that they were "deeply sorry" for the incident, according to the BBC.
"We consider that all pregnancies in prison should be treated as high risk," stated Ms. AcAllister.