Anugrah Abraham, a 21-year-old trainee officer with West Yorkshire Police, tragically died in March 2023 in woodland near his home in Bury. He was undergoing police training at Leeds Trinity University at the time of his death. An inquest held in October revealed concerning details about the circumstances surrounding his death. The coroner, Joanne Kearsley, ruled that while Mr. Abraham’s death was not preventable, there were significant shortcomings in the assessment and support of his mental health.
The coroner highlighted that the evaluation of Mr. Abraham’s mental health was "inadequate," pointing to a "lack of consideration" for modifying his duties due to his mental health issues. A critical concern raised was the absence of mental health nurses within the occupational health unit of West Yorkshire Police, suggesting this could be a reflection of national staffing trends.
Mr. Abraham had visited the force's occupational health team in December 2022, three months prior to his death. However, no investigation followed concerning the quality of care he received from occupational health after his passing. His family alleged that he faced racism and bullying during his training, claims that West Yorkshire Police disputed. An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found no evidence supporting the allegations of racism and bullying.
"Set up to fail," Mr. Abraham's family expressed in response to the inquest's findings.
The coroner's report has been forwarded to several bodies, including the College of Policing and West Yorkshire Police. These organizations, along with the National Police Chiefs' Council, have been given 56 days to respond to the concerns outlined by the coroner.
"There is no evidence that any steps should have been taken which would, on the balance of probabilities, have made a difference to the tragic outcome," stated Joanne Kearsley, senior coroner for Manchester North.
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