Girl, 14, was 'unlawfully killed' at Taplow mental health hospital, jury rules

A litany of failings in the care of a teenage girl who was unlawfully killed while being treated at a Taplow mental health hospital contributed to her death, an inquest has ruled.

Ruth Szymankiewicz, 14, died following a fatal act of self-harm when she was left alone while she should have been under constant supervision at the now-closed Huntercombe Hospital, also known as Taplow Manor, in 2022.

Jurors delivered the verdict of unlawful killing at the culmination of an eight-day inquest into her death this afternoon [Thursday, August 14].

In a statement after the decision, Ruth’s parents Kate and Mark Szymankiewicz paid tribute to their daughter and said her death had left ‘a gaping hole in our family that will never be filled’.

“What happened to Ruth is shocking, tragic and harrowing,” Mr Szymankiewicz said.

“Whilst there is much more to be said, if change can come from her story, it can make a tangible difference to others.”

Ruth, from Salisbury, was admitted to Huntercombe Hospital’s Thames Ward in late 2021 after she was diagnosed with a severe eating disorder and sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

She struggled enormously with eating and, upon her admission to the Taplow hospital, was often being fed through traumatic naso-gastric [NG, feeding tube] sessions.

Mr and Mrs Szymankiewicz told the inquest Ruth felt her treatment was ‘like torture’ and that they felt she had been ‘left to deteriorate’.

Thames Ward was supposed to be secure, and medics had placed Ruth – who had been identified at risk of self-harm - under constant watch by support workers.

But she was able to perform a fatal act of self-harm when an agency worker finished his shift and left her alone. He had used a stolen identity to get work in the UK and later fled to Ghana.

Police are not pursuing charges against the man, who used the name ‘Ebo Acheampong’, nor others in a previous fraud investigation over his application to work in the UK.

Inadequate staffing at Huntercombe Hospital was ‘always an issue’ and medics on Thames Ward, where Ruth was staying, had raised fears on the day of the incident, the inquest heard.

Care staff had also worried Huntercombe Hospital was not the right place to treat Ruth, but were unable to transfer her, in part, due to a lack of spaces at other facilities.

Ruth died at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford on February 14, two days after the incident in Taplow.

Huntercombe Hospital closed in 2023, following a series of critical inspections by industry regulator the Care Quality Commission, which branded its leadership and safety ‘inadequate’.

Jurors at the inquest in Buckinghamshire Corner’s Court had been asked to decide whether her death was due to unlawful killing [gross negligence manslaughter], suicide, or contributed to by neglect.

The court heard multiple failings identified by the jury, which were ruled to have contributed to the unlawful killing decision.

They included problems with Ruth being able to access material that could be used for self-harm, improper training for agency staff, and not being consistently offered alternatives to NG feeding.

More failings included Ruth’s parents not being given enough information on care options and rights of refusal – and Ruth not being prevented from accessing harmful material on the internet.

Ruth’s parents have been present throughout the eight-day inquest, and gave a statement on its opening day to the court.

Mr Szymankiewicz described Ruth as ‘the kind of daughter you could only hope for’, with a ‘huge heart and a deep passion for life’.

In his closing remarks at the inquest, coroner Ian Wade KC said: “I extend my sympathy and condolences to Ruth’s parents who have participated in what must [have been] the most horrible, unbearable ordeal with dignity and restraint.

“I hope you will treasure all the memories of your lovely daughter.”

Following the inquest, Active Care Group, which ran the hospital at the time of Ruth’s death, issued a statement. It said: “ We extend our heartfelt condolences to Ruth’s family, friends, and all those affected by her passing.

"We deeply regret the tragic event that occurred, and we are truly sorry for the distress this has caused and recognise the profound impact it has had on everyone who knew her.

“In recent years, we have made significant improvements to the quality and safety in all of our services. We remain fully committed to working closely with our teams across the country to ensure consistently high standards of care for the individuals we support.

“We are dedicated to learning any further lessons through both this inquest process and others from across the NHS and independent sector with the aim of preventing any future tragic incidents.”

The company also criticised the role played by the agency involved, and said it had not worked with it since the incident.

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