The Army forgot my son after he died, says mum

A young soldier who took his own life was forgotten about by the Army following his death, his mum has said.

L/Cpl Charlie Owen, from Carmarthenshire, died on 11 September 2023 while serving with the Welsh Guards.

Lawyers, who have settled a five-figure claim against the Ministry of Defence (MoD), said failures in welfare communication may have contributed to his death.

The MoD said it took suicide prevention "incredibly seriously" and was considering recommendations made by a coroner.

Lawyers said L/Cpl Owen, 25, had been struggling with his mental health following the breakdown of his relationship; friends leaving the Army; and the deaths of others by suicide.

L/Cpl Owen joined the Army at 17 and toured Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.

He was awarded both the Queen's platinum jubilee medal and the King's coronation medal.

His mother, Tracy Evans, 53, said her son had been proud to serve, but the family felt let down after his death.

"Charlie dedicated his life to fighting on the front line for Wales and was a decorated soldier for a reason," she said.

"Yet since he's passed away, we feel as if he has been forgotten by his superiors and the organisation he once cherished.

"Disappointed, angry, and upset do not cover what we feel as a family. We have now washed our hands of the Army, we want nothing more to do with them."

Ms Evans's lawyers said her son had told Army doctors he had been struggling with his mental health, and had come close to taking his life previously.

He was recalled to barracks in Windsor for monitoring, but that the level of risk was not communicated adequately.

They said this meant he arrived at an empty barracks the night before he was due to report to welfare officers, and he died before that meeting took place.

Following L/Cpl's inquest in November 2024, assistant coroner Robert Simpson issued a prevention of future deaths report to the MoD.

He said there had been "a failure to pass on all of the pertinent risk management information to those making decisions".

"The full purpose of asking the deceased to return to barracks was not communicated effectively to him," he said.

"Protective factors mitigating the resulting lack of proximity to family, including meeting him or assessing his welfare on arrival, were not considered.

"These factors taken together may possibly have contributed to his death on that day."

Ms Evans said she believed families should be more closely involved when soldiers are struggling.

"I had strong hopes, following the inquest, that the Army would review its training to help identify the risk of suicide and bring families into conversations.

"I understand that soldiers are adults, but family support is still incredibly important. We know our children."

An MoD spokesperson said: "We acknowledge the profound effect L/Cpl Owen's death had on his family, friends and colleagues, and our thoughts remain with them.

"We take suicide prevention incredibly seriously and are committed to ensuring all personnel facing mental health challenges are fully supported, including carefully considering the observations and recommendations outlined in the prevention of future deaths report."

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support and advice is available via the BBC Action Line.