A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the death of a woman in custody will be held in May, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has said.
The COPFS has lodged a first notice to begin the court process for an FAI into the death of Victoria Teresa Black, 49.
She died on January 11, 2022 at the Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, after being admitted on January 8, 2022.
She had been found unconscious in her cell at HMP Cornton Vale in Stirling.
FAIs are mandatory when a prisoner dies in custody in Scotland.
READ MORE: FAI to probe death of Scots hotel director
A Preliminary Hearing will be held on April 22 at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
The FAI will take place on May 20 and 21 and will determine the cause of death; the circumstances in which the death occurred, and to establish what, if any, reasonable precautions could have been taken, and could be implemented in the future, to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances.
Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are inquisitorial in nature, and are used to establish facts rather than to apportion blame.
Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on fatalities investigations for COPFS, said: “The Lord Advocate considers that the death of Victoria Black occurred while in legal custody and as such a fatal accident inquiry is mandatory.
“The lodging of the first notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the Sheriff.”
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