A grieving mother has vowed to do everything in her power to ensure that the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s tragic death are not repeated.
Elise Sebastian, 16, was found unresponsive in her room at the St Aubyn Centre mental health unit in Colchester in April 2021. An inquest jury at Essex Coroner’s Court determined that “poorly administered observations” played a significant role in her death.
Victoria Sebastian, Elise’s mother, expressed her determination to take part in the ongoing Lampard Inquiry, which is investigating the deaths of over 2,000 mental health patients in Essex.
“I will be fighting with the inquiry, doing everything I possibly can to ensure no other family has to go through this,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking, but I won’t stop.”
The St Aubyn Centre is run by the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT). Following the inquest, EPUT’s CEO, Paul Scott, issued an apology to Elise’s family.
Elise, a passionate fan of Harry Potter and music, lived in Southminster near Maldon. She had been diagnosed with autism, and her parents became increasingly concerned about her struggles with anxiety and depression. In March 2021, Elise was admitted to the unit for the second time.
The inquest revealed that Elise was supposed to receive one-on-one care, but on April 17, she was left unattended in her room for 28 minutes. During this time, an audible alert tied to a newly installed infrared monitoring system was muted by staff.
EPUT admitted that its failures contributed to Elise’s death. The trust’s lawyer, Pravin Fernando, stated: “\[It] failed in its responsibility by allowing her to enter her bedroom unsupervised.”
Speaking after the inquest, Mrs. Sebastian expressed her anguish, saying her daughter had been “dramatically and horrendously” failed by the unit and was treated as an “inconvenience.” She added, “Elise was meant to be safe, but instead, she was left to make multiple suicide attempts before finally succeeding.”
Mrs. Sebastian emphasized the wider issue, stating, “There have been too many deaths. Losing a child is the most painful experience, and I will do everything I can to prevent this from happening to anyone else’s child.”
The Lampard Inquiry team has been closely monitoring the inquest’s proceedings. In response, Mr. Scott said, “I want to apologize to Elise’s family and to all those who loved her. She did not receive the care she deserved, and I offer my deepest condolences.”
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