Mother: St Aubyn Centre Failed Elise
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- Victoria Sebastian told the Lampard Inquiry her daughter Elise was failed by mental health staff who dismissed her physical symptoms as 'all in her head', despite worsening health issues from age 10
- Elise Sebastian, a 16-year-old autistic girl, died unresponsive at the St Aubyn Centre in Colchester in April 2021, after being left alone for 28 minutes despite requiring one-to-one observation
- Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust admitted Elise 'did not receive the care she deserved' and extended condolences, as the inquiry heard staffing shortages led to observation gaps
- Baroness Lampard, chair of the public inquiry, pledged bereaved families would be central to the investigation into over 2,000 deaths under Essex mental health care from 2000 to 2023
- Victoria Sebastian criticized the use of infrared Oxevision cameras on the ward, citing poor Wi-Fi and muted alarms, and called for a ban on such monitoring in mental health units
- Victoria Sebastian said her daughter was punched by another patient and bullied at the St Aubyn Centre, describing the facility as 'not fit for purpose' and unsafe for vulnerable youth
Why it matters: The testimony reveals concrete failures in staffing, training, and physical health monitoring that directly preceded a teen’s death, raising accountability for EPUT and the national standards of mental health care for neurodivergent youth. With over 2,000 cases under review, the inquiry could force systemic reform.
