Coroner Rules Trainee Officer Died by Suicide; Family Claims “Set Up to Fail”

The family of a police officer in training, who died by suicide following difficulties with his training program, asserts their belief that he was “set up to fail”. Anugrah Abraham, 21, a resident of Bury, Greater Manchester, was undergoing training to become a police officer with West Yorkshire Police in Halifax when his body was discovered in woodland in March 2023. His family alleged that Mr Abraham, referred to by them as Anu, experienced bullying and racism during his traineeship, claims which the force contested. At the conclusion of the inquest held at Rochdale Coroner’s Court, Joanne Kearsley, the senior coroner for Manchester North, determined that his death was due to suicide. His family described him as “kind, gentle and funny”, and expressed their disagreement with Ms Kearsley’s finding that his death was not preventable. In her official ruling, the coroner stated: “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.” Outside the court, his sister, Elisheba Abraham, issued a statement on behalf of the family, saying: “Anu was set up to fail.“He never had sufficient support, particularly after he told his superiors that he was considering ending his own life.”We cannot fathom how and why the coroner has come to that conclusion.“Sadly, it is too late for Anu and for our family.” Mr Abraham commenced a Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) in October 2021, a program that integrated academic study at Leeds Trinity University with practical, on-the-job training. His father, Amar, informed the court that his son’s difficulties began after April 2022, following his assignment to Halifax Police Station. Evidence presented at the inquest indicated that Mr Abraham had contended with mental health issues, but had not fully disclosed their severity to his family, feeling he did not wish to disappoint them. Following complaints regarding Mr Abraham from a different department, he met with his district line manager, who conveyed her impression that he was “massively struggling with the role”. Upon his return from a two-week holiday with friends, he departed from his home address in the early afternoon and was subsequently reported missing from home at 22:50 GMT to Greater Manchester Police. He was discovered deceased the following day. Ms Kearsley stated that the prospect of resuming work “was likely to have been a source of distress” for Mr Abraham. She further indicated that she would be compiling a prevention of future deaths report, intended for submission to the National Police Chiefs’ Council, concerning the difficulties in managing mental health within the policing profession. Subsequent to Ms Kearsley’s ruling, Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller of West Yorkshire Police affirmed that the force “fully respects these findings, and they will be reviewed in greater detail by the force to establish areas of future improvement”. He also stated: “My thoughts are with both Anu’s family and his many friends and colleagues within and beyond policing.“He was universally popular, and his loss is a continuing one felt by many.” The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed it had conducted an investigation into the circumstances preceding Mr Abraham’s death, but reported that it found no evidence to substantiate the claim. In a statement, they declared: “The evidence did not indicate that PC Abraham was subjected to bullying while at work. “We did identify a small number of incidents where we have advised individuals involved would benefit from reflection on how their actions may be perceived by others. “However, these did not suggest that PC Abraham was treated less favourably than others in his team.”