Farah Damji, a 59-year-old mother and former art gallery owner, is currently imprisoned at HMP Eastwood Park, serving a six-year sentence for non-violent offenses. Diagnosed with stage 3 HER2-positive breast cancer and Complex PTSD (CPTSD), Farah is fighting not just for her freedom—but for her life.
A Medical Emergency Ignored
Farah’s cancer diagnosis came in 2023. She underwent surgery in April and May 2024, but the essential follow-up treatments—chemotherapy and radiotherapy—were never administered. Her oncologist, Mr. Dibendu Betal of University College London Hospitals (UCLH), warned that missing these treatments would drastically reduce her survival chances. His prediction has come true: Farah’s prognosis is now terminal, with only a 20% chance of surviving the next 10 years.
Despite repeated medical recommendations, prison authorities failed to provide a care plan, denied her access to 22 hospital appointments, and neglected basic needs like pain medication, a proper mattress, and a cancer-supportive diet. Her condition has worsened, with neuropathy, poor wound healing, and escalating CPTSD symptoms.
Legal Grounds for Compassionate Release
Farah’s legal team Julia Hardy of Brooklyn Law and James Marland of Paper Buildings have submitted an application for Leave to appeal the manifestly excessive sentence. The Feminist Justice Coalition, a pro bono law center, has submitted an application to The Ministry of Justice and David Lammy, The Secretary State for Justice, an application for early release on compassionate grounds. This is summarized here . This application argues that her continued detention violates Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that imprisonment without adequate medical care for serious illness breaches this article (Kudla v. Poland, Mouisel v. France, Roque Hall v. UK).
UK courts have echoed this stance. In R v PS [2019], the Court of Appeal emphasized that terminal diagnoses must be considered in sentencing. In R v Daniel Roque Hall [2013], the court allowed a prisoner with a degenerative condition to serve his sentence at home due to the prison’s inability to provide life-saving care.
Farah’s case meets these criteria. Her cancer is incurable without treatment, and the prison cannot safely administer the only remaining option—Phesgo, a targeted therapy requiring specialist supervision at UCLH, over 120 miles away.
Mental Health Crisis
Farah’s mental health has deteriorated in custody. Reports by forensic psychiatrist Dr. Gauruv Malhan and psychologist Graham Rogers confirm diagnoses of CPTSD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Depression. Dr. Malhan warned that prison exacerbates her symptoms and that she requires long-term psychodynamic therapy, unavailable in custody.
Despite this, the sentencing judge HHJ Joanna Greenberg KC, dismissed mitigation for her mental health, citing it as “self-reported”—a claim contradicted by over 400 pages of corroborating evidence.
Systemic Failures and Neglect
Farah’s experience is not isolated. HMP Eastwood Park and HMP Bronzefield have a documented history of failing to treat women with cancer. In the past five years alone, five women have died due to neglect or lack of treatment, including Kayleigh Melhuish
Farah’s own care has been obstructed by prison staff and healthcare contractors. Applications for temporary release and sentence plan progression have been ignored. Her Offender Manager, Natasha Price, refused to complete her assessment, citing workload, and later rejected it without justification.
Healthcare staff at HMP Eastwood Park run by Practice Plus Group, have failed to monitor her dangerously high blood pressure (210/106), ignored GP appointment requests, and dismissed her complaints of worsening symptoms. She has been unlawfully restrained during medical visits, increasing her physical suffering, a claim has been brought against Sodexo Ltd by ITN Solicitors.
The Last Hope: Phesgo Treatment
Phesgo, a subcutaneous injection combining pertuzumab and trastuzumab, is the only remaining treatment option. It is approved only when used with chemotherapy, which Farah never received due to prison delays. Her family has offered to privately fund the £200,000 treatment if she is released, but delivery is impossible from prison.
Applications for compassionate use and NHS funding have been submitted and appealed. However, without release, Farah cannot access the treatment—rendering even successful funding moot.
A Call for Compassion
Farah’s legal teams, supported by The Feminist Justice Coalition, has submitted a formal application for Early Release on Compassionate Grounds (ERCG). They argue that her detention serves no penological purpose and violates her human rights. The Ministry of Justice’s own ERCG Policy Framework mandates referral to the Public Protection Casework Section (PPCS) when adequate care cannot be provided in custody.
Farah has a home near UCLH and a support network ready to assist her. She is willing to comply with any license conditions, including electronic monitoring, provided it does not interfere with her frequent hospital visits.
Conclusion
Farah Damji’s case is a stark reminder of the human cost of systemic neglect. Her life is at risk not because of her crimes, but because of a prison system that has failed to provide basic medical care. Compassionate release is not just a legal necessity—it is a moral imperative.