The University of Bristol failed to make “reasonable” allowances for a student with severe social anxiety and fear of public presentations that contributed to her depression and subsequent suicide, a county court has been told.
The allegation came on the first day of a case against the university brought by the parents of Natasha Abrahart, a 20-year-old physics undergraduate who was found dead at her flat in 2018, a day before she was to take part in a presentation to staff and students.
Robert and Margaret Abrahart are suing Bristol under the Equalities Act for not taking reasonable care of their daughter’s “wellbeing, health and safety”, arguing that the university did not do enough to help despite staff knowing that Abrahart suffered from mental disabilities and was struggling with her studies.
The parents say their daughter was a victim of discrimination as a disabled student.
The court heard that Abrahart experienced great difficulty in meeting new or unfamiliar people, with a friend, Rajan Palan, recounting that her feelings of loneliness at Bristol were “exacerbated” by her shyness making her unable to talk to people outside of a close circle.
On the first day of the hearing, attention was focused on the assessments used in Abrahart’s physics course, including a laboratory conference where Abrahart was expected to take part in presentations to about 50 people in a large lecture theatre.
Jamie Burton QC, for the claimants, said there were “several reasonable adjustments” that the university could have allowed Abrahart, including replacing oral assessment with written assessment or examination of Abrahart’s laboratory notebooks, or providing her with written questions in advance.
For the conference, Burton told the court that the university could have held it without other students present, or moved it to a smaller venue than the 329-seat lecture hall used.
Burton noted that Abrahart’s parents were not alleging that members of staff breached their duty of care to their daughter, and recognised that many had tried to help her.
In its formal response, the university said that both academic and non-academic staff tried to engage with Abrahart over alternative assessments. But it also argued that it was not reasonable to remove the use of oral assessments because it would have “compromised” Abrahart’s education.
Burton told the court that there was a significant deterioration in Abrahart’s mental health in the months before her death, with Abrahart carrying out internet searches on subjects including “Why do I hate people?” and “Why do I find people scary?”.
Margaret Abrahart, under examination, said her daughter had not told her of her fears over the assessments or presentations. “I knew something was upsetting her hugely,” she said. “If I questioned her I knew it was going to be very stressful.”
An inquest in 2019 ruled that Abrahart killed herself partly as a result of a “gross failure” to provide care by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust, which “significantly underestimated” her condition. Abrahart was one of 11 University of Bristol students to kill themselves between 2016 and 2018.
The hearing at the Bristol civil justice centre continues for another six days, with a judgment reserved for a later date.
In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org
