Buzz & Beyond: Race
The woman, who is black, was told to go back to her country, while her baby boy was referred to as a ‘monkey’. The Ministry of Justice has apologised to a black woman who suffered racist abuse in a prison’s mother and baby unit where her son was referred to as a “monkey”. The incident, in which the baby was taken from his mother, happened at HMP New Hall near Wakefield in July 2018. Investigations and years of litigation followed before the case was finally settled. The woman has now received a five-figure compensation payout and a detailed three-page apology letter from the Ministry of Justice. She also received an apology from Action for Children, a charity that lists the Princess of Wales as its royal patron, which was running the mother and baby unit at the prison.
