Couple whose daughter, 20, killed herself at Bristol University, say they have STILL not received an apology after institution was found to have contributed to her suicide

• Bob and Margaret Abrahart were awarded £50,000 over daughter’s death 
• A court found Bristol University was liable to ‘multiple breaches’ of legal duties
• Natasha Abrahart, 20, who had social anxiety disorder, took her own life in 2018 

A couple whose daughter took her own life say they have still not received an apology a week after winning a landmark civil case against a university for contributing to her death and claim that officials have ‘trivialised’ the matter. 

Bob and Margaret Abrahart were awarded £50,000 after physics student Natasha, 20, tragically killed herself in April 2018.

A senior judge found Bristol University liable to ‘multiple breaches’ of its legal duties towards Natasha, who was described as a ‘hard-working and high-achieving’ student.

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. 

A court found that the University of Bristol contributed to physics student Natasha Abrahart, 20, taking her own life in 2018, by engaging in ‘indirect disability discrimination’

Her parents, Bob and Margaret Abrahart, say they have still not received an apology more than a week after winning the landmark civil case against the University of Bristol 

She had been due to give a presentation in front of 300 people, but Natasha could not cope and was found dead later that day at her flat.

Natasha had been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder just two months prior.

She had made a previous attempt to end her life earlier in the winter term, and university staff were aware she was struggling. 

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.

Natasha was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder just two months before she took her life

In her first assessment, she was so shy she scored only eight out of a possible 20 marks, the court was told.

In February 2018 she emailed one university employee saying: ‘I’ve been having suicidal thoughts and to a certain degree attempted it.’ 

A court found the university did not make reasonable adjustments to Natasha’s assessment in light of her anxiety.

It said Bristol University therefore discriminated against her under the Equality Act.

The Abraharts were paid £50,518 in damages, but the University of Bristol is now considering appealing the decision.

In the week following the hearing,  Bob says they have not received an apology from the university.

Natasha’s devastated parents say they have not received an apology from Bristol University

Speaking to student news site The Tab, he said: ‘The bit that really bugs me, the bit that hurts, is that they haven’t even said they’re sorry.

‘They put Natasha through six months of hell. They destroyed her.

‘They don’t even have the humanity to actually own up and say ‘we’re really sorry for what we did to her’.

‘How can they sleep at night? We’re so angry at the way we were treated by the uni’.

Natasha Abrahart had chronic Social Anxiety Disorder and would ask friends to go into shops on her behalf and speak for her in class.

After an inquest revealed the cause of death to be suicide, her parents were spurred into action.

Bob said: ‘The decision to take them to court was made at the end of the inquest.

‘We were so angry at the way things had gone on, the way we were treated by the university.

‘There was no way we weren’t going to court. We knew we had a strong case.’

Bob and Margaret Abrahart, pictured with Natasha, are campaigning to implement change

Bob and Margaret say the university has spent time and money fighting the couple in court, rather than instead of implementing change.

Margaret said: ‘The more you delay, the more students are suffering.

‘Students are opting out of university now. Students are ending their life now.

‘We had sufficient information three-and-a-half years ago to make changes.

‘By the end of the inquest we were pretty sure we had a case. Four years on what changes have been made?

‘Well, if they haven’t acknowledged the problem, I don’t see what changes could have been made.’

Margaret Abrahart (left) believes universities could make changes to better help students like her daughter Natasha, who suffered from social anxiety disorder

She adds: ‘There’s been this belief that universities are doing the right thing and doing as much as they can, but in my view they’ve never really gone back and looked in sufficient detail at what happens when things go wrong, which they need to do because those are the things that can be fixed.

‘They can be fixed quite simply. If they really don’t have the resources to help people, phone the parents.’

Bob and Margaret have joined forces with Learn Network, a group of bereaved parents and family members campaigning for change, including improving internal processes at universities and sharing information, which they hope could save lives.

‘Instead of investing in the sticky plaster to put it right, what they need to do is stop causing the problem in the first place,’ Margaret told The Tab.

Bob adds: ‘We want to be consulted and fight for change.’

Following the case’s conclusion, a University of Bristol spokesperson said: ‘Our whole university community has been deeply affected by Natasha’s tragic death and we would once again like to extend our sympathies to her friends and family.

‘We believe staff in the School of Physics worked incredibly hard and diligently to support Natasha during her time with us, and it was due to their efforts that she was receiving specialist mental health support from the NHS.

‘Our staff’s efforts also included offering alternative options for Natasha’s assessments to alleviate the anxiety she faced about presenting her laboratory findings to her peers.

‘We are very grateful to them for their endeavours on Natasha’s behalf and for their unwavering commitment to our students.

‘We cannot replicate the NHS, but are committed to working with the NHS and other partners to improve services and ensure we are collectively providing the best possible support for students.

‘Given the significant impact this decision could have on how all higher education providers support their students, we are reviewing the decision carefully, including whether to appeal. In light of that review, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the judgment at the present time.’

Bob Abrahart told The Tab: ‘That statement trivialises Natasha’s death.’

In response, a spokesperson for the University of Bristol added: ‘We apologise that our previous media statement was felt to trivialise Natasha’s death and we continue to express our deepest sympathies to her parents.

‘We do not in any way underestimate the impact of Natasha’s death on her family and friends.

‘We are considering an appeal as the wider implications of the judgement could have significant ramifications for the whole higher education sector, particularly in relation to how we assess the work and learning outcomes of students with an undisclosed or undiagnosed disability.

‘The judgement calls into question how universities can best support these students through making necessary mitigations while ensuring the academic integrity of degrees is maintained.’

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