originally by: Harmit Athwal
published: 8 November 2012
On 30 October, a man was found dead at Harmondsworth removal centre in west London.
The deceased has been named as 31-year-old Prince Kwabena Fosu from Ghana. The Home Office released a one-sentence statement and refused to answer any questions: “This death is being investigated so it would be inappropriate to comment at this stage. We will work with the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman during the investigation.” A post mortem has found no evidence of violence, restraint or suicide.
However, Ghanaian detainees put out a statement following the death that made a number of serious allegations about what happened to Prince Ofosu and about the poor treatment of others at the centre.
They allege that guards at the centre restrained Prince while in the ‘block’ (segregation unit) and that he had been held in his cell without heating and naked. (Read the statement in full here)