Courts / Galway / Report
Woman who claimed she was told to take off jeans at prison security check loses case against State
Summary
Ms Nataliya Matviyenko, a 39‑year‑old naturalised Irish citizen, sued the State after a security check at Castlerea Prison on 6 May 2009. She claimed a prison officer told her to remove her jeans because of metal studs, and she believed she had to take off her trousers. She complied, dropped her jeans, and her underwear fell, leaving her briefly exposed. The officer, Ciaran Croghan, said she was never asked to remove her trousers; he had asked her to remove her shoes. The judge accepted Ms Matviyenko's genuine belief that she was told to remove her jeans but found the State had not breached its duty of care, as it was not reasonably foreseeable that she would react as she did. The court dismissed her damages claim and made no order for costs. The case was heard by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Woman who claimed she was told to take off jeans at prison security check loses case against State. Charges or matters: negligence; breach of duty. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- May 6th 2009 Incident
- 2015-04-23 Publication
Why: Nataliya Matviyenko, a Russian speaking Ukrainian, claimed she was told by a prison officer to take off her jeans because they contained decorative metal buttons or studs before going through a metal detector while visiting her husband in the prison. CNI source report
Case subjects
Applicant
Charges: negligence; breach of duty (Alleged Or Contested)
Places mentioned
Topics
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