Inquest into death of Gaia Pope begins today
Gaia Pope's body was found 11 days after she was declared missing in November 2017
Last updated 26th Apr 2022
The inquest into the death of 19-year-old teenager from Swanage begins today.
Gaia Pope's body was found 11 days after she was declared missing in November 2017.
The body of the 19-year-old, who suffered from severe epilepsy, was found by police search teams in undergrowth between Dancing Ledge and Anvil Point, close to the Swanage coastal path, 11 days later.
A post-mortem examination confirmed she had died from hypothermia.
During the police investigation, three people - two men aged 19 and 49 and a 71-year-old woman - were arrested. They were released without any further action being taken.
Gaia's family say police and health staff did not support her enough after she made a rape allegation, leading to a decline in her mental health.
The inquest has been delayed a number of times because of the coronavirus pandemic. It's expected to last around three months.
A jury will be present for the inquest which will be conducted under Article 2 of the European Court on Human Rights in order to consider the circumstance in which Gaia died.
The jury will hear evidence of what Dorset Police did from November 7, the day Miss Pope disappeared, until November 11, at which point she was likely to have already died.
They will also consider evidence of Miss Pope's epilepsy, her mental health, particularly the impact upon her of an alleged rape she suffered aged 16.
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