Tippa Naphtali

‘Impartiality’ concern raised over death in custody inquiry

Olaseni Lewis
Olaseni Lewis

source: The Voice Online
published: 6 May 2016

The senior coroner in the investigation into the death Olaseni Lewis has flagged up concerns over the impartiality of staff at the mental health facility where the 23-year-old was restrained by police officers.

Selena Lynch, senior coroner for south London, said staff at Bethlem Royal Hospital could feel unable to speak openly about the death of Lewis because their legal representation is being paid for by their employer, reported the Croydon Advertiser.

IT graduate, Lewis, was restrained face down for a total of 40 minutes, in two prolonged periods, by up to 11 officers in 2010 at the Kent facility run by South London and Maudsley (SLaM).

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Tippa Naphtali

Coroner receives ‘significant’ information on the Birmingham pub bombings

Birmingham Pub Bombingssource: BT News
published: 12 May 2016

A “significant” piece of information has been sent to the coroner who is considering reopening the Birmingham pub bombings inquests.

Senior coroner for Birmingham and Solihull Louise Hunt said she received “sensitive information” from an undisclosed source in a submission sent to her office on April 27, just days before a key hearing.

Speaking on Thursday ahead of what is due to be her final decision on whether to reopen the inquests on June 1, Ms Hunt added the material was “significant” and related to an allegation the security services had some advanced notice of the deadly bombings on the night of November 21 1974.

She said: “It’s significant and does raise concerns in relation to potential advanced notice. That’s as much as I can say.”

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4WardEverUK

How to decolonise mental health services

David 'Rocky' Bennett
David ‘Rocky’ Bennett

source: openDemocracy
published: 5 April 2016

Before David ‘Rocky’ Bennett’s death in a psychiatric unit 18 years ago, he sent a letter to the nurse director, pointing out there were no black staff members. He wrote:

“There are over half a dozen black boys in this clinic. I don’t know if you have realised that there are no Africans on your staff at the moment”.

Bennett died while being held down by four staff members at a psychiatric unit after a violent altercation with another patient and a nurse. Looking at the circumstances around his untimely death, it’s clear his blackness was threatening to staff members. He had been using the mental health for at least a decade, yet his needs as a black Rastafarian were not being met.

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