A convicted rapist housed at a maximum security jail – dubbed Monster Mansion – took his own life little more than two years into his 12-year sentence.
Described by police as “predatory”, Bahram Razvani, 33, was jailed in 2022 for raping an intoxicated woman as she slept. Razvani, an asylum seeker from Iran, had pled guilty to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault, which happened after he had met the woman in Leicester city centre.
Razvani, who had previously assaulted other inmates, was himself attacked in June 2024, according to a report by the Prisons Ombudsman. He was found bleeding from his nose and mouth after being attacked in a cell on June 5.
Staff found Razvani under the influence of an illicit substance, which they believe might have been given to him to make it easier to carry out the attack. He was taken to hospital and treated for multiple facial fractures and a tear in an artery in his neck, the report noted.
Investigations into the reasons behind the assault indicated that Razvani had possibly insulted a prisoner who then arranged for another prisoner to assault him, reports Yorkshire Live.
Wakefield prison – also known as Monster Mansion due to the number of high profile, high risk offenders housed there – reported the assault to West Yorkshire Police but Razvani refused to press charges.
Razvani spent some time in the healthcare unit and was then moved to B wing. He was found hanged in his cell at Wakefield, just weeks later, on July 31, 2024.
The Ombudsman concluded that Razvani received appropriate care at Wakefield “and that there was no evidence that he was at imminent risk of suicide or self-harm in the days before his death.”
An inquest into Razvani’s death found that his cause of death was suicide by hanging.
Wakefield prison was unable to contact Razvani’s next of kin following his death.
The prison subsequently discovered that Razvani’s religion required that he should be buried with specific requirements relating to the burial plot and the service arrangements.
Wakefield staff identified a funeral director in Bradford that could provide the necessary services and they proceeded with arrangements at a cost that was considerably higher than for a more typical service and burial, the Ombudsman noted.
The Ombudsman said: “Once staff discovered Mr Razvani’s religion, they ensured he was buried in line with this, despite the extra cost to the prison.
“This demonstrated both sensitivity and attention to detail and was an example of good practice.”
