Arabic version: تحقيق يكشف تفاصيل وفاة باتينس كوزمينز في الحجز
According to ABC News,
The coronial inquest into the death of Patience Kuzmins is examining the practices of Corrective Services NSW following her death at Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre in 2022. Kuzmins, 23, died on November 10, 2022, shortly after she was taken into custody, with contraband found concealed in her body three days after her arrest.
According to ABC News, Kuzmins had turned herself in at Wollongong Police Station on November 7, 2022, after a warrant was issued for her arrest. She was held overnight before being remanded for sentencing. During her stay, she was not strip searched, and a male officer conducted a non-invasive search that was not documented due to a reported human error.
The inquest revealed that Kuzmins underwent a body scan upon her transfer to Silverwater Correctional Complex, which did not indicate any abnormalities. However, a subsequent review suggested that contraband may have been concealed internally. On November 11, a cellmate alerted officers after hearing Kuzmins fall in the shower. Despite attempts to provide assistance, she was pronounced dead shortly thereafter, with the cause attributed to methylamphetamine toxicity.
Family members expressed their heartbreak over Kuzmins’s death, describing her as a vibrant individual with a strong personality. They raised concerns about the lack of proper search protocols, emphasizing the need for improved procedures to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Deputy State Coroner Derek Lee is expected to deliver his findings on June 16.
