A bereaved couple whose 20-year-old daughter committed suicide at the University of Bristol are calling for new ‘duty of care’ measures after staff failed to respond to her email plea for help

The distraught parents of a “hardworking and successful” student who took her own life are calling for the duty of care to be made a legal requirement for universities.

Natasha Abrahart was studying physics at the University of Bristol when she was found dead in her flat in April 2018.

The 20-year-old attempted suicide already in the winter semester, and university employees were aware that she was having problems with it.

In February 2018, she sent an email to a university employee saying: “I have had suicidal thoughts and have attempted to do so to some extent.”

The 20-year-old, who suffers from social anxiety disorder, was scheduled to take part in a group presentation to staff and students during a 329-seat lecture.

Before the presentation, called a laboratory conference, Natasha had difficulty making an assessment based on individual interviews.

Her parents, Robert and Maggie, successfully sued the University of Bristol in 2022 after a judge ruled the university had breached its obligations under the Equality Act by failing to make “reasonable adjustments” for Natasha in light of her debilitating anxiety.

Judge Ralton, of the Bristol Civil Justice Center, also found that the university had indirectly discriminated against Natasha on the basis of disability and had treated her unfavorably because of the consequences of her disability.

The university was ordered to pay Natasha’s parents £50,000 in compensation and asked to agree an amount to cover her funeral costs.

Last December, the university appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the judge erred in finding that it knew or should have known enough about Ms. Abrahart’s condition to adjust the grades.

However, the February ruling dismissed the university’s appeal.

The Abraharts, who are part of the ForThe100 campaign – a group that offers support to the families of students who die by suicide at university – are currently fighting to make the duty of care for students a legal requirement for universities.

According to the group, 100 students take their own lives every year.

Last year, the group submitted a 120,000-vote petition to Parliament, which forced a debate in the House of Commons, but no changes were made to the current legislation.

However, as thousands of students begin their semester at university, Natasha’s father said he will continue the fight Mirror that “universities have a duty of care to their students.”

“Following Natasha’s death, we were horrified to learn that she was the tenth of eleven students to die at the University of Bristol in 18 months. “I had the impression that many of these students died out of indifference, and we don’t think that’s acceptable,” he said.

A spokesperson for the University of Bristol said: “We care deeply about all our students and staff, so the mental health and wellbeing of our community are at the heart of decision-making across the university. This includes providing appropriate, accessible services and interventions. We are constantly developing and improving our services to support those who need help.’