Melanie Kalay has settled a legal claim against the Ministry of Justice and City Health Care Partnership for a five-figure sum following the death of her father, Alpha Kalay, at HMP Hull. Mr.
Kalay, a 74-year-old retired firefighter and sailor, died on January 19, 2021, from Covid-19. His daughter initiated legal action under the Human Rights Act, alleging he suffered an "inhumane, degrading and undignified death." Prison staff were aware Mr.
Kalay was at higher risk due to his ethnicity and pre-existing health conditions. However, when his cell, bedding, and clothes became soiled, staff mistakenly believed he was staging a "dirty protest." This led to disciplinary proceedings against him and his placement in a segregation unit, during which several opportunities to provide him with proper care were missed.
Before his death, Mr. Kalay was discovered dehydrated, confused, unable to communicate, and dressed in soiled clothes.
A coroner found that staff repeatedly failed to assess him correctly. He was initially placed in a wellbeing unit before being taken to Hull Royal Infirmary, where he was diagnosed with severe respiratory failure and acute kidney injury and died five days later.
Melanie Kalay stated her father was treated "as a problem, not a person" and expressed her grief over the extent to which he was let down. She is pleased the case has settled, believing justice has been served, although it cannot erase her pain or her father's suffering.
Her lawyer highlighted the neglect of an elderly, vulnerable prisoner in degrading conditions. The Prison Service apologized, citing the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, while the CHCP stated they conduct thorough reviews of serious incidents.
