Nataliya Matviyenko loses negligence case over prison security check

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Nataliya Matviyenko lost her negligence and breach-of-duty damages case against the State on 23 April 2015. The proceedings were reported on 24 April 2015. The case arose from a 2009 security check at Castlerea Prison, where she claimed she was told to remove her jeans and accidentally exposed herself.

Mr Justice Paul Gilligan accepted that Ms Matviyenko genuinely believed she had been asked to remove her jeans, while the prison officer intended her to remove her shoes. He ruled that the State had not breached its duty of care because her reaction could not reasonably have been foreseen, and dismissed the case.

She had sued the governor of Castlerea Prison, the Irish Prison Service and the Minister for Justice, alleging negligence and breach of duty. The claims were denied, and the State did not seek costs.