Her arms are too thin

Surveillance tape doesn’t fit: British woman sent to prison

Gaie Gelap (marked in red in the picture) with members of Just Stop Oil.(Bild: Just Stop Oil)

Because she could not be fitted with an electronic monitoring bracelet, a 77-year-old British climate activist has been sent back to prison from house arrest. The application of a monitoring bracelet failed due to the woman's very thin arms.

According to the PA news agency, Gaie Delap was sentenced to 20 months in prison in August for her participation in a protest by the Just Stop Oil group on London's M25 ring road. The retired teacher and other climate activists were released to house arrest in mid-November.

However, according to the report, Delap could not be fitted with an ankle bracelet for medical reasons. The application of a monitoring bracelet failed due to the woman's thin arms. The grandmother has therefore now been recalled to prison.

Ministry of Justice justifies action
According to PA, a spokesperson for the British Ministry of Justice justified the action with the duty to enforce sentences: "The law states that any person released on curfew must be electronically monitored." If this is not possible, the person in question must be taken back into custody.

Friends and family members of Gaie Delap criticized that insufficient efforts had been made to find a suitable bracelet. Moreover, at 12,000 pounds (just under 14,500 euros), the detention of the woman is likely to cost the taxpayer significantly more than the purchase of a suitable monitoring device.