A vulnerable teenager from the United Kingdom committed suicide five months after terrorism charges against her were dropped after being "highly affected" by her arrest.
Now, a coroner concluded that the failures in the teenage girl's case were "not systemic." The individual, identified as Rhianan Rudd, was found dead at a children's home in May 2022, after a self-inflicted act.
UK Teen Commits Suicide After Dropping of Terrorism Charges
Chief coroner of England and Wales, Alexia Durran, in delivering a narrative verdict, said, "In the circumstances, I do not consider I should make a prevention of future death reports." She added that Rudd did not intend to take her own life, adding it was not possible to ascertain her intention.
The coroner said that the teenage girl was known to her family and professionals as a vulnerable individual who had autistic traits and a history of self-harm. Durran added that Rudd was highly affected by her arrest and was very concerned about going to prison, according to The Guardian.
It was not clear whether or not the teenage girl's legal team told her when the terrorism charges against her were dropped. However, the coroner argued that the whole situation had a significant psychological impact on her.
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The case began when Rudd was taken into custody in October 2020, and became the youngest girl to be charged with terror offenses in the UK after she was groomed online by an American "neo-Nazi."
The teen's mother, Emily Carter, acknowledged that she had made mistakes and had asked authorities to "stand up and admit their mistakes" as well. She said there were a lot of people in power who could and should have realized the mistakes in how Rudd was being treated, BBC reported.
Failure of the System
The mother added that she saw first-hand the impact that the failures had on her daughter's mental health during the time before she committed suicide. Anna Moore, the family's solicitor, said that Rudd was described by others as "the most vulnerable child they had ever come across."
The inquest into Rudd's death revealed troubling details about her radicalization by two American white supremacists. The coroner said that one of these individuals, who was her mother's boyfriend, "played a material role."
A few hours before the teenager was found dead in a children's home in Nottinghamshire, she posted on Instagram, saying, "I'm delving into madness." The evidence raised questions about whether or not the autistic girl should have been treated with more care while in custody, as per Sky News.
