Today’s news / Prison death heads to rights court
The European Court of Human Rights has agreed to review a Danish case where a prisoner in a Danish prison died of an overdose. The relatives believe that his human rights were violated. (Archive photo). Photo: Frederick Florin/Ritzau Scanpix

Prison death heads to rights court

The European Court of Human Rights is set to review if a 40-year-old’s rights were breached when he wasn’t given medical help after overdosing in Kragskovhede Prison. Aalborg’s court found the prison responsible for his death in 2022, a decision later reversed by the Western High Court in 2023. The inmate overdosed on methadone, reportedly from the prison’s medical room, and staff neglected to contact a doctor timely, violating protocols. The deceased’s drug dependency highlights the extra care required by authorities for such individuals in custody. The case is now pending at the human rights court, with no comment from the Prison and Probation Service.