My son, 20, died in ‘hell on Earth’ hospital where he was ‘raped, over-medicated, malnourished and frightened’

A MUM whose son died at a mental health facility says the last eight days of his life were spent “in a place I truly believe was hell on Earth”.

Melanie Leahy said Matthew was “alone, malnourished, over-medicated, scared, bleeding, bruised, raped, injected multiple times, ignored and frightened”.

The 20-year-old was found hanged in November 2012 while a patient at the Linden Centre in Chelmsford, Essex.

Ms Leahy said she had been told Matthew’s body “was a crime scene” and she was not allowed to touch him.

“The lack of compassion or empathy I experienced that day will stay with me for life,” she added.

The health ombudsman uncovered 19 instances of serious failings by the former North Essex Partnership University Trust (NEP), including in its response to Matthew’s reports that he had been raped and the fact it did not write his care plan until after his death.

Matthew claimed staff had raped him during the night, which they described as a “paranoid and suspicious thought” related to his “delusional disorder”.

The police attended but took no further action.

The health ombudsman concluded that the NEP “failed to properly allocate a key worker to Matthew, plan his care effectively, engage consistently with him, manage his observation level appropriately, assess or manage risk fully, do enough to look after his physical
health, and take appropriate action when he reported being raped”.

Ms Leahy has long campaigned for a public inquiry amid similar complaints of “failings” from other families.

The Lampard Inquiry, chaired by Baroness Kate Lampard CBE, is now looking into more than 2,000 mental health deaths in Essex between 2000 and 2023.

This includes people who died within three months of being discharged, and those who died as inpatients receiving NHS-funded care in the independent sector.

Addressing the inquiry, surrounded by photos of Matthew, Ms Leahy said: “When Matthew became poorly, we turned to so-called professionals for help, to help us understand what was happening and to help us find a way to help our son.

“I was the parent, it was my duty to protect my child.

“I worked hard throughout my life to give him a solid upbringing and teach him morals.

“I loved him, supported him, encouraged him and guided him, and nurtured him into his adulthood.

“Yet eight days in the care of the state and my son died. I will never come to terms with that.”

Now every day and every night I cannot escape the reality and the accompanying sadness that my beautiful, handsome boy is gone

Melanie LeahyMum

She alleged that during his time at the Linden Centre, he was “alone, malnourished, over-medicated, scared, bleeding, bruised, raped, injected multiple times, ignored and frightened”.

There were also “no records of any staff in those last days of his life offering him any comfort”, she added.

The Lampard Inquiry, which opened earlier this month, has been hearing directly from the families of those who died.

Ms Leahy said: “This is a place I’ve fought a long time to get to for all the wrong reasons.

“I am Matthew’s mum and I bear witness for him. He cannot speak for himself or explain what happened.”

‘FOCUS ON MY LIFE’

She said her son was a “beautiful soul”, who “understood compassion and cared for others”.

“He was generous, he was kind, he excelled at school and he was smart. He was funny,” Ms Leahy added.

“Since I first held my son in my arms as a baby, I always expected to live my entire life with Matthew.

“Now every day and every night I cannot escape the reality and the accompanying sadness that my beautiful, handsome boy is gone.

“Matthew’s death and who was responsible for it became and still is the focus of my life.”

Priya Singh, a partner at law firm Hodge Jones & Allen which is representing more than 120 victims and families, previously described the state of mental health services in Essex as an “ongoing scandal”.

“We, with the families, have fought for more than four years to get this statutory inquiry, so that it has the same powers as the Post Office and Covid Inquiries,” she said.

“This inquiry must get to the bottom of how these people died, to allow the families some closure and understanding of why their loved ones were lost whilst under the state’s care.

“It is only when we know what happened, can change happen.

“Sadly, the situation in Essex is being repeated across the country on a daily basis, which is why this inquiry is of such fundamental importance.

“We will be pushing for interim recommendations to be brought in to prevent more people from dying while the inquiry is ongoing.

“This tragedy needs to stop.”

Marjorie Wallace, founder and chief executive of mental health charity SANE, added: “Over more than 40 years of being involved with inquiries, this is the largest ever investigation into mental health services I have seen in this country.

“The families have waited too long.

“They deserve answers to what happened to their sons, daughters, fathers and mothers at the darkest moments in their lives, so that faith in mental health services can be restored.”

Paul Scott, chief executive of Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), said: “I want to say how sorry I am to anyone who has lost a loved one or whose care has not been of the standard it should have been.

“I welcome the Lampard Inquiry and we will do all we can to support Baroness Lampard and the team to deliver the answers that families and patients are seeking.”