Mother barred from hugging son before detention centre death sparks coroner’s call for change

A coroner has criticised a detention centre operator for not letting a mother hug her distraught son before he took his life.

An inquest jury found Frank Ospina, a 39-year-old Colombian man being held at a Heathrow immigration removal centre, died by suicide following missed opportunities to help him after he was seen by staff trying to harm himself.

On the last day she saw him alive, his mother, Maria Ospina, said she “could not believe what I was looking at” through the glass, adding that her son was unrecogniseable and staring at her as if she wasn’t there.

“I was desperate to just give him a hug as I believed this was a way to bring him back to reality. That would have been the last opportunity I had to embrace my son but I couldn’t because we were separated by a glass screen and were being watched by these two men,” she said.

Senior coroner for West London, Lydia Brown, has written to the home secretary Yvette Cooper, NHS England and Home Office contractor Mitie, demanding they act to prevent similar tragedies occurring.

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The jury found, after a two-week inquest, that there had been “unacceptably inadequate” observations by the detention officer in charge of monitoring Mr Ospina in the centre’s care suite - a separate unit for people experiencing a mental health crisis.

The inquest heard that Mr Ospina was observed hitting his head against a wall and beating himself with a television cable. Despite staff at the detention centre witnessing Mr Ospina attempting to take his own life, and Mr Ospina telling staff about a further attempt, the GP at the centre did not make a Rule 35 report, which would have notified the Home Office about Mr Ospina’s suicidal intentions.

The coroner also questioned why such a report could only be made by a GP, when detainees were seen by a wider-ranging team of healthcare workers who would be able to make the crucial report.

Mr Ospina, an engineering graduate, was detained for working without a valid visa following a raid on a restaurant in March 2023. His mother said he had taken on a casual job to cover his rent and living expenses while staying in the UK temporarily, before taking up a place in a master’s course in Spain.

She explained that despite her partner calling the detention centre to make appointments to see her son “we were told without reason that we cannot see him”.

She decided to turn up to the detention centre without an appointment because she was growing increasingly concerned about his state of mind. When she was finally allowed to see him, she said she “could not believe what I was looking at” through the glass.

Mrs Brown criticised Mitie, who runs the immigration centre, after Mr Ospina’s mother Maria was only allowed to visit her son in a “closed” visit.

This meant her son was accompanied by two officers and their meeting was held behind glass, where no physical contact was possible, in a set-up Maria described as “like visiting a convict in prison”. The officers were overhearing the family and taking notes.

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In a statement to the inquest, she said: “I saw Frank Ospina that day but when I looked at him, I was horrified, as I did not recognise my son. He was staring at me as if I was not there.”

This was the last time that Maria saw him alive. She told the inquest that she would speak to her son on the phone at least three times a day during his time in detention, adding: “I knew that being detained was very difficult for him to deal with. I could sense it through his voice and the things he would say.

“This broke my heart because throughout his life he was a free spirit and loved to travel. Being detained without close and personal contact with his family and friends was something that he, nor we, could handle psychologically.”

Mitie told the inquest that they were unaware the closed visit had occurred, and apologised - confirming it was inappropriate. They said that the pair should have been allowed to meet in the usual communal area where they could have hugged and had a private conversation.

A Mitie spokesperson said: “We accept that the decision to place Mr Ospina’s family in a closed room for their visit was wrong and not in accordance with our policies and procedures, and we have apologised for this.”

In her report, obtained by investigative journalism unit Liberty Investigates, the coroner said she was concerned that the closed visit took place seemingly without the consent of the manager on duty.

An NHS spokesperson said: “NHS England extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Frank Ospina.

“We are carefully considering the Prevention of Future Deaths Report sent to us by HM Coroner and will respond in due course.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We offer our sincere condolences to Mr Ospina’s loved ones. Since his death in 2023, a number of actions have been taken to improve the safeguards for individuals in detention, including an increase in staffing numbers, training and guidance for staff.

“The new government is focused on ensuring actions are taken to improve conditions in immigration removal facilities. This includes reviewing the current process for communicating risk and vulnerability of detained individuals, and carefully considering the coroner’s recommendations.”

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.