The case against Richmond Psychosocial International Foundation at Ealing Magistrates Court was postponed as no defendants were present.
No defendants were present in court. This means the case has been adjourned until further notice.
The case against the charity operating psychiatric facility follows the death of Sophie Bennett.
Sophie Bennett took her life in Lancaster Lodge in Richmond in May 2016, one year after being admitted.
An inquest into Ms Bennett’s death in February found the facility’s leadership “grossly inadequate”.
The coroner also identified serious failings by the trustees to keep their beneficiaries safe from harm.
The inquest at West London Coroner’s Court also heard from the charity’s head, Elly Jensen. Ms Jensen was forced to step away from her own psychiatric charity in the 1980s due financial mismanagement allegations.
‘Highly distressing reading’
Michelle Russell, of the Charity Commission, said the coroner’s report into Ms Bennett’s death “made for highly distressing reading”.
She added: “The coroner found that failings at the charity directly contributed to Sophie’s death. We want to see the charity address those failings as a matter of urgency.”
“The opening of this inquiry reflects the seriousness of the coroner’s findings and our concerns.”
The Bennett family welcomed the inquiry but expressed their anger that it had taken so long for Ms Jansen to be investigated.
They said: “In the aftermath of Sophie’s death it became apparent that the Charity Commission inquired into the activities of the founder Elly Jansen as long ago as 1992”.
“That inquiry catalogued a long list of serious failings in the way she operated charities.”
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Standfirst
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HeadlineMental health home hearing has been postponed
Short HeadlineMental health home hearing postponed
StandfirstSophie Bennett, 19, took her life in Lancaster Lodge in Richmond, west London, in May 2016
The case against Richmond Psychosocial International Foundation at Ealing Magistrates Court was postponed as no defendants were present.
No defendants were present in court. This means the case has been adjourned until further notice.
The case against the charity operating psychiatric facility follows the death of Sophie Bennett.
Sophie Bennett took her life in Lancaster Lodge in Richmond in May 2016, one year after being admitted.
An inquest into Ms Bennett’s death in February found the facility’s leadership “grossly inadequate”.
The coroner also identified serious failings by the trustees to keep their beneficiaries safe from harm.
The inquest at West London Coroner’s Court also heard from the charity’s head, Elly Jensen. Ms Jensen was forced to step away from her own psychiatric charity in the 1980s due financial mismanagement allegations.
‘Highly distressing reading’
Michelle Russell, of the Charity Commission, said the coroner’s report into Ms Bennett’s death “made for highly distressing reading”.
She added: “The coroner found that failings at the charity directly contributed to Sophie’s death. We want to see the charity address those failings as a matter of urgency.”
“The opening of this inquiry reflects the seriousness of the coroner’s findings and our concerns.”
The Bennett family welcomed the inquiry but expressed their anger that it had taken so long for Ms Jansen to be investigated.
They said: “In the aftermath of Sophie’s death it became apparent that the Charity Commission inquired into the activities of the founder Elly Jansen as long ago as 1992”.
“That inquiry catalogued a long list of serious failings in the way she operated charities.”
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