University staff failed to inform parents of son’s suicidal intent

A UNIVERSITY has been criticised by a coroner after it emerged staff failed to tell a student’s family about his state of mind before he killed himself.

Bournemouth University student Callum Jewell, 20, had previously taken an overdose before he took his own life on campus on Feb 27. A postmortem examination revealed Callum died of asphyxiation.

At his inquest, it emerged university officers feared it would be a breach of trust to tell the law undergraduate’s family about concerns for his welfare.

Speaking at the hearing, Callum’s father, Rob Jewell, said he was amazed at the “completely wrong” decision.

And Dorset coroner Rachael Griffin said a system should have been in place where Callum’s parents were alerted about his mental health struggles with his consent. She said: “I have concerns about the safety of students at Bournemouth University in regards to the welfare process and policy.

“There seems to be a number of gaps there in regards to the recording, keeping and passing on of information... if someone is talking to a student who has mentioned potentially ending their own life that meeting should be recorded, and it concerns me that there was no formal recording made.

“Students are in the community of the university and there’s a responsibility and duty to protect them,” she said.

Mr Jewell said he felt “guilty” over his son’s death and suggested he could have helped were he told of Callum’s conversations with the university.

Mandi Barron, head of student services at Bournemouth, said: “We do advise students to contact family and friends, but we would never do so without their permission.”

Coroner Rachael Griffin recorded a suicide verdict.