The parents of an undergraduate who had crippling social anxiety when she took her own life after alerting university staff to her suicidal thoughts are advocating for duty of care to students to become statutory for higher education providers.
Bob and Maggie Abrahart’s daughter, physics student Natasha, had been so anxious about an upcoming public presentation that she wrote to staff at the University of Bristol, saying: “I’ve been having suicidal thoughts and to a certain degree attempted it.”
But she was not excused, and three months later, in April 2018, when she was supposed to give the presentation in front of the entire class, Natasha, 20, died by suicide, reports the Mirror.
As thousands of students are starting the new university term, Bob 68, says: “After Natasha died, we were appalled to learn she was the tenth of eleven students to die at Bristol university within an 18 month period. It felt like a lot of these students suffered death by indifference and we don’t think that’s acceptable.”
In May 2022, the Abraharts, who also have a son, successfully sued the University of Bristol, claiming that it violated the European Human Rights Act by discriminating against Natasha’s disability, severe social anxiety, and were paid a £50,000 settlement. A judge decided that there had been violations of the Equality Act 2010, which constituted disability discrimination.
The university’s appeal against the ruling was dismissed in December 2023, but the court did not pronounce on whether it owed Natasha a duty of care under negligence law.
The Abraharts are now fighting to make duty of care to students a legal requirement for higher education providers as part of their ForThe100 campaign, which unites and supports families like theirs and is named in memory of the approximately 100 students who die by suicide at universities each year.
Last year, ForThe100 – which also gives support, practical and emotional aid, and guidance to bereaved parents – filed a petition to parliament with 120,000 signatures, forcing a House of Commons discussion on the matter in May 2023. However, the government determined that no amendments should be made to the current legislation.
Undeterred, Bob, of West Bridgford, Nottingham, himself a retired University of Nottingham geography lecturer, says he and the other parents will continue their fight. He adds: “Universities owe a duty of care to their students.”
A talented student, Natasha’s severe anxiety didn’t present at home, so while her mum Maggie 62, a retired psychological well-being practitioner, says they knew she had been a shy child, she added: “Social anxiety is situation dependent, so when she was at home, we just didn’t see those symptoms.”
However, her anxiety had become paralysing, preventing her from speaking in front of strangers or in public for fear of being judged – a situation that exacerbated when she moved from halls to a shared flat in her second year of university. Remembering her being “happy at uni,” Maggie added: “She told us she’d been to discos and joined a baking society.”
Bob said: “We thought she was coping. We’ll never know why she didn’t tell us. If we’d known, we would have done anything to stop her from going back to university.”
An inquest into Natasha’s death heard that she failed to cope with one-on-one interviews after lab work, running out of one, resulting in poor marks. But it was the prospect of giving the presentation in front of her classmates, which would count towards her final grade, that prompted her to write the university, notifying them she had attempted suicide.
In the email to university staff, she wrote “I wanted to tell you that the past few days have been really hard, I’ve been having suicidal thoughts and to a certain degree attempted it. I want help to go to the student health clinic or wherever you think is a good place to go to help me through this, and I would like someone to go with me as I will find it very hard to talk to people about these issues.”
Referred to a GP through the university in February 2018, her parents learned at her inquest that the doctor had strongly suspected Natasha was suffering with severe social anxiety, and had immediately referred her to the crisis team.
When she died, she was still waiting to be assessed, but was still required to complete the presentation. Recalling how Bob answered the door to a police officer, who told him Natasha had taken her own life, Maggie said: “It was the worst moment of our lives. Then to discover that her death could have been prevented was unthinkable. If the university has been told that a student is suicidal, what should their responsibility be?”
Bob added: “I worked in a university, I know how easy it would have been for them to make accommodations for Natasha. I’ve had students who’ve struggled with speaking in public, and I’ve always found a way around it for them. Why couldn’t someone have done that for Natasha?”
But, resolved to do all they can to prevent further student suicides, he said: “We’ve got a chance to try and change things in the future for other students.”
A spokesperson for the University of Bristol said: “We care deeply about all our students and staff which is why the mental health and wellbeing of our community is at the heart of decision making across the University. This includes the provision of appropriate, accessible services and interventions. We continue to develop and improve our services to support those who need help.”
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