Ana was 21 years old when she attempted suicide on 2 May 2004 at HMP & YOI Holloway. She was discovered by staff suspended by a ligature in a shower room. Ana was taken to hospital where her condition stabilised but subsequent medical tests revealed that Ana had sustained substantial brain damage as a result of the incident.
A detailed internal investigation by the Prison Service was carried out into the circumstances of Ana’s attempted suicide.
However in order to meet the State’s investigative obligation under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights the NOMS commissioned Rob Allen, the then Director for the International Centre for Prison Studies at Kings College London, to conduct an independent investigation to examine the circumstances surrounding Ana’s life-threatening attempted suicide on 2 May 2004 and to see whether there are lessons to be learned that might contribute to the care of prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm.
The independent investigation report was published on 13 August 2010.