The family of the headteacher Ruth Perry, whose death after a critical Ofsted inspection will be the subject of a high-profile inquest this week, have been refused legal aid to fund their representation just days before the hearing is due to start.
While other interested parties, including Ofsted, the local council and NHS trust, will – as public bodies – have their legal costs paid out of the public purse, the headteacher’s family say they have had to resort to crowdfunding to pay their legal costs.
As of Friday evening, more than £34,000 had been raised from more than 2,300 donations, including many from members of the teaching community in England who are closely following a case which has put the schools inspectorate under the spotlight.
The inquest is due to start at Berkshire coroner’s court on Tuesday. Perry’s family have previously said she was “devastated” and killed herself after an Ofsted inspection downgraded her school, Caversham primary, in Reading, from “outstanding” to “inadequate” over errors in safeguarding training and procedures.
The family’s Gofundme page points out that Ofsted, Reading borough council and Berkshire Healthcare NHS trust, as public bodies, “will de facto have their legal costs paid from the public purse”, but the bereaved family will receive no financial support. “We believe this legal and financial inequity to be unjust.”
The government’s position is that in the vast majority of inquests, families will not need their own legal representation as they are inquisitorial and the coroner is there to ask questions on the family’s behalf. There is also access to “exceptional case funding” in a small number of cases.
The family argued they should receive legal aid because of the wider public interest in the case. In a statement, Ruth Perry’s sister Julia Waters thanked all those who had donated, and described the current system which denies so many families legal aid for representation at inquests as “profoundly iniquitous”.
She added: “We have raised over £30,000 in just 24 hours, meaning we are now confident of reaching our target. Knowing that we shall be able to pay our wonderful legal team through the generosity of the public is both reassuring and deeply moving.
“No bereaved family should have to go through the gruelling experience of an inquest – particularly one involving three public bodies – without proper legal support. No bereaved family should have to bear the costs of legal support themselves.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “We know this will be an incredibly difficult time for the family and friends of Ruth Perry and our thoughts remain with them.
“Legal aid representation is not necessary in the vast majority of inquests but we have made changes to ensure there is more support for those who have lost loved ones.”
An Ofsted spokesperson said: “We were deeply saddened by the death of Ruth Perry and our thoughts remain with her loved ones and the community at Caversham primary school.
“We have listened to the public debate around our inspections this year and we announced measures to improve aspects of our work with schools in the summer. We are continuing to support the coroner’s inquest and we will give evidence at the hearing this week.”
In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
