Rhianan Rudd: Missed opportunities to help groomed girl who died, inquest hears

A mental health worker involved in the care of a teenage girl who took her own life after terrorism charges against her were dropped has told an inquest there were “several missed opportunities” to help her.

Rhianan Rudd was the youngest girl to be charged with terrorism offences before her case was discontinued, and months later she took her own life in May 2022.

Cheryl Benison, from child and adolescent mental health service (Camhs) at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, said she had chased up Rhianan’s lead social worker “10 times” to push for a long-term treatment plan.

She described Rhianan’s case as “extremely complex”, with Rhianan – who died aged 16 – suffering “significant childhood trauma”.

Rhianan, who was autistic and had a history of self-harm, was arrested in October 2020 after downloading bomb-making guides and making verbal threats to “blow up a synagogue”.

She was placed on a MI5 watchlist and was a “subject of interest” up until her death.

The teenager, who Chesterfield Coroner’s Court heard was groomed and radicalised online by a far-right extremist in the US, was found dead in a children’s home in Nottinghamshire – five months after the charges were dropped.

Ms Benison said she first became aware of Rhianan after the teenager was referred following a visit to A&E in late 2020.

The mental health worker, who said she had a caseload of 81 children and young people and worked four days a week at the time, said she first met Rhianan in January 2021.

From that meeting, Ms Benison told the inquest Rhianan was struggling to sleep and that she was missing Chris Cook, whom she spent up to “15 hours a day” online speaking to.

Ms Benison said this was Rhianan “being groomed on the internet”.

The court has previously heard Chris Cook, 28, provided far-right material for her to read and classed Rhianan as his “girlfriend” in WhatsApp messages the FBI provided MI5 and Counter Terrorism Policing East Midlands (CTPEM).

In the meeting, Ms Benison asked if Rhianan had thoughts about ending her own life, which Rhianan denied and said “life could be worse”, adding she was grateful to her family.

Ms Benison said it became clear an autism referral was a “priority”, and added “longer-term therapy” was the most appropriate course of treatment for Rhianan.

In her next meeting in February 2021, Ms Benison said Rhianan told her she had been sexually abused and had “not received support” for it.

She added the perpetrators were “immigrants”, and this “added to her right-wing views”, the inquest was told.

According to Ms Benison, Rhianan said she would “like to harm others”, and this was “80% of her thought process at the time” and she was “unable to let go of this feeling”.

In a further meeting, Ms Benison said Rhianan wanted to know “what a human tastes like”, and “how long it would be to dissolve a body”.

In meeting notes read to the court, Rhianan added if she was “not thinking about Nazis, she was thinking about being a serial killer”.

But Ms Benison said the comments were “trying to invoke a reaction”, and that this was a “running theme” with people in Rhianan’s case.

The court heard Rhianan took an overdose and was admitted to hospital on 10 April 2021.

After Rhianan was arrested again and charged five days later, the teenager was remanded to Bluebell House Residential Home in Nottinghamshire.

On 19 April, Ms Benison said there were initial discussions on transferring her care over to Cahms teams in Nottinghamshire, but staff agreed to delay the full handover due to the autism referral that was still ongoing.

Rhianan’s autism referral was concluded in September 2021, the inquest heard.

Ms Benison told the court it was the responsibility of Derbyshire County Council and Rhianan’s social worker Tom Carty, to lead on the handover as well as trying to arrange the recommended care package for Rhianan moving forward.

Chesterfield Cahms would then assist with the handover, she added.

The inquest has previously heard that Mr Carty was the Derbyshire County Council social worker responsible for Rhianan between November 2020 and March 2022.

Ms Benison said there were several months in 2021, when she was trying to get an update from Mr Carty about Rhianan’s treatment, and that she had been contacted by Bluebell House about Rhianan’s support.

Ms Benison said it transpired Rhianan “did not have any Cahms support”, adding this was a concern.

“I flagged this many times… I pushed as many times as I could for therapeutic interventions,” Ms Benison told the court.

“Camhs should have remained involved throughout her care… mental health support that needed to be involved in Rhianan’s care plan.

“[My] involvement in the handover didn’t come through… there were several missed opportunities where mental health support was not sought.”

Ms Benison, who said she took it upon herself to hand over the case, said she struggled to do this, as she was not told by Derbyshire County Council who to contact in Nottinghamshire.

A meeting was arranged with Nottinghamshire Cahms, after Ms Benison sought contact information elsewhere, but Rhianan died before this meeting took place.

The inquest continues.

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