Parents welcome Parliament debate on student welfare

The parents of a student who took her own life said making universities legally responsible for student welfare "must be taken seriously" ahead of a debate in Parliament.

Natasha Abrahart, from Nottingham, was studying physics at the University of Bristol when she died in April 2018, aged 20.

Her parents Bob and Maggie Abrahart were set to attend a debate on the issue in Parliament on Tuesday, organised by their MP James Naish.

They are calling for a statutory duty of care that would make universities legally responsible for taking steps to avoid students coming to harm.

Natasha died on the day she was due to give a presentation in a 329-seat lecture theatre, after being diagnosed with chronic social anxiety disorder in February 2018.

The University of Bristol said it had increased specialist mental health provision and introduced self-bookable appointments with a wellbeing adviser.

Her dad Bob, 69, said when Natasha told the university she was suicidal, it "made no difference".

"They should have taken the necessary steps to avoid causing her further distress," he said.

"In 2023, we took this to Parliament. Things haven't changed.

"It's now time to revisit the problem. We lose 160 students to suicide every year at universities in England and Wales.

"This has to be taken seriously, not just by the universities but by Parliament."

A judge previously ruled the university had breached its duties under the Equality Act by failing to make "reasonable adjustments" for Natasha in light of her debilitating anxiety, which is considered a disability.

The judge dismissed a claim that the university had been negligent and ordered the university to pay damages of £50,500.

Maggie, 64, said: "We want parity with employers who have a duty of care to their employees.

"At the moment, because it's unclear what's expected of universities, there's no accountability when things go wrong."

Bob and Maggie are part of a group called ForThe100, which believes universities need to have a legal duty of care for students.

"[Natasha] was very much into computing and physics - and she should have succeeded," Bob added.

"But things went wrong. As we know, she was discriminated against by the university.

"This debate is another door opening. It's not the end. It's another start."

The family's Labour MP James Naish, who represents Rushcliffe, said: "I hope this marks the moment within this Parliament where this issue gets a proper airing and a proper discussion.

"There have been improvements by universities but that doesn't mean it is consistent across the board."

A statement from the University of Bristol said: "We care deeply about all our students and staff which is why the mental health and wellbeing of our community is at the heart of decision making across the university.

"This includes the provision of appropriate, accessible services and interventions."

The Department for Education said "every suicide [was] a tragedy" and added that the government was calling for "urgent, visible action from universities to learn from these preventable deaths".

"Last year, we published the first ever national review of student suicides in higher education which provided valuable insights and recommendations to improve prevention and support," a spokesperson said.

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