Parents of tragic student, 20, accuse Bristol University of having a ‘direct role in her death’
Parents of student, 20, who took her own life launch a landmark civil case accusing Bristol University of having a ‘direct role in her death’ by making her give a public presentation despite her chronic social anxiety
Natasha Abrahart, 20, of Nottingham, was found hanged in her flat in April 2018 She was due to take part in talk to staff and students in 329-seat lecture theatre Her parents want to hold university responsible for the failings behind her death University denies wrongdoing and says it ‘worked very hard’ to offer her help For confidential support call Samaritans on 116123 or visit a Samaritans branch
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Natasha Abrahart, a student at the University of Bristol, was found hanged in her flat
The parents of a ‘hard-working and high-achieving’ student who took her own life have launched a landmark civil case accusing the University of Bristol of having a ‘direct role in her death’ by making her give a public presentation despite her chronic social disorder.
Natasha Abrahart, 20, was found dead in her flat in April 2018, the day before she was due to take part in a group talk to staff and students in a 329-seat lecture theatre.
She had made a previous suicide attempt earlier in the winter term, and university staff were aware she was struggling.
In February 2018 she emailed one university employee saying: ‘I’ve been having suicidal thoughts and to a certain degree attempted it.’
Her parents Robert and Margaret are suing the university, claiming it failed to deliver on its duties to their daughter under the Equalities Act.
At a hearing at the Bristol Civil Justice Centre, the couple alleged the university failed to make reasonable adjustments for Ms Abrahart’s mental disability.
They also claim she was a victim of indirect discrimination and suffered discrimination as a disabled student.
Jamie Burton QC, for the claimants, said Ms Abrahart had been acutely shy from childhood. She had grown up fascinated by physics and had taught herself computer programming.
He said she surrounded herself with a small group of long-standing friends while growing up, but did not talk much.
Giving evidence, Ms Abrahart’s mother Margaret said: ‘I knew something was upsetting her hugely – if I questioned her I knew it was going to be very stressful.
‘I made the very difficult decision to trust other people.’
Her parents Robert and Margaret are suing the university, claiming it failed to deliver on its duties to their daughter under the Equalities Act
Natasha’s parents Robert and Margaret Abrahart speak in her room as they fight for answers
The parents, pictured at her grave, raised more than £75,000 online to fund lawyers to represent them at the inquest into her death
Rajan Palan, a friend of Ms Abrahart’s, accompanied her to several medical appointments and did his best to persuade her to access services.
He said he knew the university was aware of one suicide attempt by Ms Abrahart, but not of a subsequent one.
‘If I made attempts to tell anyone, Natasha wholly resisted it,’ he said.
Mr Palan admitted becoming quite frustrated and angry, saying: ‘I felt angry with the university, with her parents, with myself for not doing more.’
He added: ‘I felt like, “Why is no one helping me here?”‘
Mr Burton added: ‘She would shut down when made the centre of attention or when confronted by people in positions of authority.’
Despite her social anxiety, the court hear Ms Abrahart had enrolled on a four-year masters course at the University of Bristol, and was in her second year when she died.
Mr Burton said that although she made friends, she rarely socialised outside her home, and if she did go out she was reliant on friends to order drinks and food for her.
Before the presentation, known as a laboratory conference, Ms Abrahart had struggled to complete one-on-on interview-based assessments, attending only two out of five.
In her first assessment, she was so shy she scored only eight out of a possible 20 marks, the court was told.
Mr Burton said: ‘Natasha was a conscientious, bright and diligent young person who was hard working and high achieving at school.
‘However, evidence from family and friends demonstrate she suffered from social anxiety from a young age and was acutely self conscious.’
Ms Abrahart had carried out internet searches on the link between anxiety and depression, as well as searches such as ‘why do I hate people?’ and ‘why do I find people scary?’
Natasha Abrahart was only 20 when she was found dead in her flat on April 30 this year. A pre-inquest review yesterday heard how she had the university’s Student Health Service of her issues
He said she would ‘shut down when made the centre of attention or when confronted by people in authority.’
She rarely spoke in class and suffered with a history of self harm but did not talk to her parents about her issues or seek medical attention.
He added: ‘She preferred self reliance and wrote future letters to herself in desperation over her level of shyness.’
The court heard that in the months before her death, there was a ‘significant deterioration in her mental health’.
Ms Abrahart had carried out internet searches on the link between anxiety and depression, as well as searches such as ‘why do I hate people?’ and ‘why do I find people scary?’
‘(This) is about disability-related discrimination – about the provision of education to Natasha, a disabled student,’ Mr Burton said.
Ms Abrahart’s family say oral assessments could have been replaced with written versions or she could have been provided with questions in advance.
They also say the laboratory conference could have been moved to a smaller venue.
Mr Burton said that despite the civil claim, Ms Abrahart’s parents do not allege that any member of staff breached their duty of care to her, noting many had tried to help her.
He added that it was not claimed that the university was in any way responsible for ensuring she got better or accessed services.
The university is defending the claim in full, including a denial that it owed Natasha any relevant legal duty of care.
It added earlier that the university had ‘worked very hard’ to offer the student help and that student services even took her to an emergency GP appointment.
The trial at Bristol County Court, which is expected to last seven days, continues.
An inquest concluded last year the university – previously hit by a spate of deaths – was not at fault.
But the coroner did find failings within local mental health services, whose care Natasha was under and later paid ‘substantial’ damages.
In a BBC documentary in 2019, moving accounts from Natasha’s friends show how her death had an impact across the student community.
Luke Unger recalled when he heard the news: ‘I was devastated. I just felt hollow. I just remember walking by the river and I stopped underneath Clifton Suspension bridge and I just stayed there all night.’
Luke Unger (pictured), who had dinner with Natasha just three days before she died, said: ‘I still get nightmares. I don’t really sleep. I think about her every day’
Hope White (pictured), who used to go on runs with Natasha, said when she found out her friend was dead: ‘I just remember being in a state of shock and not really believing it’
He had dinner with Natasha just three days before she died, he said: ‘I still get nightmares. I don’t really sleep. I think about her every day.’
‘You sort of had this constant paranoia of who’s next just because there were so many suicides, 11 in total, it was in the back of my mind all the time.’
Hope White, who used to go on runs with Natasha, said when she found out her friend was dead: ‘I just remember being in a state of shock and not really believing it. Part of me wanting to cry, part of me wanting to just throw up.’
Describing her friend as ‘shy’ and ‘generous’ she added through tears: ‘It’s been almost a year since Natasha died. I think it will be a year at the end of April but it doesn’t get any easier.’
For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. See www.samaritans.org for details.
