Natasha Abrahart: High court rules Bristol uni did contribute to student's death
Natasha Abrahart took her own life in 2018
Last updated 14th Feb 2024
A High Court judge has ruled the University of Bristol did discriminate against one of its students, who took her own life in 2018.
Natasha Abrahart from Nottinghamshire was found dead six years ago having taken her own life, on the day she was due to give a presentation in a more than 300-seat lecture theatre.
In 2022 a judge at Bristol County Court declared staff at the university failed to accommodate her severe social anxiety, which the uni appealed, leading to today's latest judgement.
Natasha Abrahart's story
Natasha, who was 20, was known to have mental health problems during her time at the university.
In February 2018 she emailed one university employee, saying: "I've been having suicidal thoughts and to a certain degree attempted it."
In 2018 her family successfully argued that by not accommodating her mental health issues, the university's actions amounted to disability discrimination, with the uni ordered to pay ÂŁ50,000 in damages.
During the original hearing at Bristol County Court, Jamie Burton QC, representing her family, said Ms Abrahart had been acutely shy from childhood.
She had grown up fascinated by physics and had taught herself computer programming.
He said she surrounded herself with a small group of long-standing friends while growing up but did not talk much.
Mr Burton added: "She would shut down when made the centre of attention or when confronted by people in positions of authority."
Ms Abrahart had carried out internet searches on the link between anxiety and depression, as well as searches such as "why do I hate people?" and "why do I find people scary?".
Natasha's family's campaign
Since Natasha's death, her parents have been campaigning for the government to enforce a statutory duty of care for students.
'When Natasha died, we didn't understand what the processes involved were," her dad Bob said speaking to us last year.
"As we've progressed through the different courts, for the past five years now, we've come to understand there's a huge gap in the protection afforded to students.
"Students should be protected to a minimum level, the same level you have in employment, and hopefully that will lead to, not just fewer deaths, but a better overall experience for students at higher education institutions.
The idea was debated by MPs in parliament last June after a petition calling for universities to be made legally accountable for how their students are treated, gained more than 100,000 signatures.
Reaction
In response to today's High Court decision Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol, said she is "deeply sorry" for the Abrahart family's loss.
“At Bristol, we care profoundly for all our students and their mental health and wellbeing is a priority and is at the heart of everything we do," she said in a statement.
"We continue to develop and improve our services and safeguards to support our students who need help.
“In appealing, we were seeking clarity for the Higher Education sector around the application of the Equality Act when staff do not know a student has a disability, or when it has yet to be diagnosed.
"We will work with colleagues across the sector as we consider the judgment."
You can read the university's full response here.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has also commented, saying it welcomes the judge's intervention.
Baroness Kishwer Falkner, Chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: “We welcome this judgment and today our thoughts are firmly with Natasha’s loved ones.
“As the equality regulator, we assisted the court in determining how universities should approach their duty to make reasonable adjustments, bearing in mind the anticipatory nature of that duty.
“While we will take time to consider today’s judgment in full, it provides clarity on the approach universities should take in relation to what parts of an examination or assessment should amount to competence standards.
“This case will help ensure universities benefit from clearer guidance on their duties under the Equality Act, when they arise, and where the competence standard exception can be applied.
“We also hope that current and prospective disabled students will feel empowered by this judgment, which provides them with clarity on what they should expect from their university.”