Inquest into the death of 16-year-old Rhianan Rudd identifies multiple missed opportunities by State agencies before her death
Jesse Nicholls represented the mother of Rhianan Rudd at the inquest into her death, which concluded on 9 June 2025. Rhianan, a highly vulnerable child, was the youngest girl ever to be charged with terror offences in the UK. The prosecution was discontinued when Rhianan was eventually recognised as a victim of modern slavery due to the online exploitation she had suffered.
In her findings, the Chief Coroner for England & Wales identified a number of missed opportunities by Counter Terrorism Police, Prevent, Derbyshire County Council and mental health bodies in the period leading up to Rhianan’s death, including:
- A potential systemic failure by Counter Terrorism Police and Derbyshire County Council to refer Rhianan to the National Referral Mechanism, the body responsible for identifying potential victims of modern slavery, at an earlier date.
- A failure by Derbyshire County Council to refer Rhianan for mental health support at an earlier stage and to arrange long-term therapeutic support therapy for Rhianan.
- A failure to provide Rhianan with the direct mental health support she required from Nottinghamshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This lack of input from Nottinghamshire CAMHS was a missed opportunity which left Rhianan without any input from mental health services from May 2021 until her death in May 2022.
- The specialist Forensic Mental Health Services (FCAMHS), a body responsible for the mental health care of young people in the criminal justice system, had no positive impact in Rhianan’s case and may have made the provision of care for Rhianan worse.
- Prevent officers did not consider the impact of their intervention on Rhianan, the focus of the intervention was changed shortly before Rhianan’s death without discussion with relevant professionals, and this change in focus was inappropriate.
Jesse Nicholls represented Rhianan’s mother, with Ciara Bartlam of Garden Court North, instructed by Anna Moore of Leigh Day.
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