Parents Expressed Concerns to Staff About Daughter’s Treatment, Court Hears

At the Old Bailey, it was revealed that the parents of a young woman, who died by suicide at a mental health facility, implored staff to “dramatically change their approach” concerning their daughter’s care. Alice Figueiredo, aged 22, was a patient on the Hepworth Ward at Goodmayes Hospital when she died in July 2015. The North East London NHS Trust, the entity responsible for operating the hospital, faces a charge of corporate manslaughter, which it denies. Benjamin Aninakwa, the 55-year-old ward manager, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence. Readers should be aware that this report contains content that some individuals may find upsetting. An email presented in court showed Alice’s stepfather, Max Figueiredo, conveying “deep concerns” regarding the ward manager’s treatment of his daughter. He stated: “My appeal to you is to change your approach dramatically. “Your approach is to harangue her into admitting that she is somehow not severely depressed and merely taking advantage of agency staff in charge of her care.” Earlier in the trial, the court was informed of a belief prevalent on the ward that Alice was engaging in self-harm to elicit guilt from the nursing staff. In a statement, Mr Figueiredo asserted: “When we pointed out how unwell she was, it was often interpreted as incorrect and exaggerated in Mr Aninakwa’s opinion. “He felt she was manipulating the staff and playing games.” He further added: “What we don’t need is the extinguishing of her life because people who should be helping her to recover feel like she is somehow sabotaging her own recovery.” A statement from Alice’s grandmother, Anne, was also presented to the court, in which she mentioned speaking to her granddaughter by phone nearly every day. Anne’s statement included: “I always told her how special she was and that she could contact me any time, even in the night. She was a special, loving, thoughtful and caring person.” Her final conversation with her granddaughter occurred on the evening of 5 July, two days prior to Alice’s death. She recalled: “One of the last things she said to me was: ‘I just want to get on with my life.’ She really wanted to get well.” The legal proceedings are ongoing.