Nicola Killean, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, said: “We welcome publication of the conclusions of the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the deaths of William Lindsay and Katie Allan. 

“Our thoughts are with the families of William and Katie. There are no words to describe the loss of a child, a brother, a sister. The findings, by Sheriff Simon Collins KC, are damning. He is clear that both these tragedies, which occurred while William and Katie were in custody of the State, could have been avoided. An unimaginably difficult process has been made even worse for the families by the time it has taken to reach today’s milestone. It’s imperative that the Scottish Government and all relevant agencies swiftly enact his recommendations.  

“This office has previously called for the Scottish and UK governments to remove crown immunity for the Scottish Prison Service and Scottish Ministers, so William and Katie’s families could seek redress and accountability for their deaths. Once again, we support the families in urging both governments to take this long overdue action.”