Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Reality is that there is a very limited retreat of the vehicles, with the occupation forces providing cover undeer fire up to Salah al-Din Street
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Claims that the Israeli occupation has withdrawn from areas in the neighborhoods of al-Zaytoun, al-Tuffah, and al-Shujaiya are false
Hamas: The two delegations stressed that any negotiations must lead to the achievement of our people's goals and aspirations, foremost among which is ending the war and the complete withdrawal of enemy forces
Hamas: A delegation from the Hamas leadership, led by the head of the leadership council, Mohammad Darwish, met with an Islamic Jihad delegation, headed by its Secretary-General, Ziyad al-Nakhalah

Serious failings lead to newborn's death in 12-hour lone prison birth

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 29 Jul 2023 12:47
4 Min Read

The deceased baby, named Aisha, was born to an 18-year-old inmate, Rianna Cleary, who was awaiting a sentence for a robbery charge.

  • x
  • A mother with her child in a prison in the UK. (AFP via Getty Images)
    A mother with her child in a prison in the UK. (AFP via Getty Images)

A newborn baby's death in a cell at HMP Bronzefield, the largest women's prison in Europe, was attributed to severe systemic failures, according to the coroner's conclusion.

The baby, named Aisha, was born to an 18-year-old inmate, Rianna Cleary, who was awaiting sentence for a robbery charge. Despite Cleary's pleas for help during labor, she was left alone in her cell for 12 hours and had to manage the delivery herself, including cutting the umbilical cord.

In a heart-wrenching testimony presented in court, Cleary delivered a profoundly impactful statement that left the courtroom deeply moved, describing going into labor alone as “the worst and most terrifying and degrading experience of my life.”

She said: “I didn’t know when I was due to give birth. I was in really serious pain. I went to the buzzer and asked for a nurse or an ambulance twice.” Cleary passed out, and when she woke up, she had given birth.

“The cord was still attached. The placenta was on the floor. I bit the cord and tied it and put the placenta in the bin. I sat there holding her,” she added.

In her statement, Cleary raised doubts about whether she had been so severely let down due to being a young black woman. "I wondered at that time if I was being treated differently from [other women in prison] because of my race, because I was young, or because of my past,” she said.

The cause of Aisha's death remains uncertain, whether she was born alive and passed away shortly after or was stillborn. The investigation exposed significant inadequacies in both the prison's handling and the healthcare provided by Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Cleary's troubled background of childhood trauma and vulnerabilities highlights the need for reconsidering the imprisonment of pregnant women. This tragic incident emphasizes the urgency for enhanced care and support for vulnerable inmates in custody.

In short, the tragic death of a baby during a 12-hour lone prison birth has exposed glaring systemic failures within the UK prison system.

The case has raised serious concerns about the treatment and care of pregnant women in custody, and has highlighted a lack of effective planning and response by prison authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of pregnant inmates.

Moreover, the failure of the midwifery and obstetrics team at the hospital to provide maternity care has come under scrutiny, with the absence of reliable guidance and an appropriate birth plan being identified as contributing factors.

Cleary's questioning of whether her race and age played a role in the inadequate support she received has also drawn attention to the potential racial disparities within the prison system. This heartbreaking event underscores the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to ensure the safety and dignity of pregnant women in prisons and to address systemic issues that jeopardize the well-being of vulnerable inmates in the UK.

UK police reveals 1,000 rapes since 2010 occurred in prisons: Report

According to recent exclusive data obtained by The Observer in May from police in England and Wales, almost 1,000 rapes have been reported to have occurred in prisons since 2010, and 2,336 sexual assaults were reported during the same time, as experts warn that the real numbers for both crimes may be far higher since some go unreported. 

Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, in response to the investigation, complained about “minimal research – and a worrying lack of coherent and consistently applied policies – in relation to consensual and coercive sex behind bars."

This comes amid increasing worry about prison safety - both for guards and prisoners. Overcrowding, lack of staff, and budget cuts have been triggered by more than 10 years of austerity measures from successive Conservative-led governments in the UK. 

Read next: British Met police officer pleads guilty to 24 counts of rape

  • Rianna Cleary
  • UK prisons
  • UK
  • United Kingdom

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS