Rhianan Rudd: 'Missed opportunities' to help terrorism suspect

An inquiry into the passing of a 16-year-old girl who was groomed and faced terrorism allegations has revealed that there were overlooked opportunities to assist her by the authorities. Chief coroner Alexia Durran determined that both the police and Derbyshire County Council could have referred Rhianan Rudd sooner for potential consideration as a victim of modern slavery. Rudd, who was the youngest female to face terrorism charges in the UK, was initially charged with possessing weapon-making manuals and investigated by MI5, but the charges were later dropped in 2021 after it was established by the Home Office that she was a victim of exploitation. Tragically, she took her own life at a juvenile care facility in May 2022.

During the conclusion of the inquest at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court, Durran mentioned a potential “systems failure” on the part of counter-terror police and the county council, resulting in their failure to promptly refer the teenager to the appropriate authorities. Nevertheless, no organization was deemed responsible for her demise, as Durran deemed it “essential and suitable” to scrutinize and prosecute Rudd for terrorism allegations. Rudd’s mother, Emily Carter, acknowledged her own mistakes and urged the authorities to acknowledge theirs. Carter stated, “I believe there were numerous individuals in positions of power who could have recognized the errors in how Rhianan was handled and the missed opportunities to aid her.”

The inquest, which lasted four weeks in February and March, disclosed that Rudd had been groomed and sexually exploited online by an American neo-Nazi and had developed an obsession with Adolf Hitler, expressing a desire to “blow up a synagogue.” Furthermore, it was revealed that she was influenced by a former associate of her mother who had ties to a white supremacist group. The family’s solicitor, Anna Moore, indicated that various agencies had obligations to safeguard Rudd but failed to do so despite her being considered “the most vulnerable child they had ever encountered” by some involved parties.

Durran also highlighted overlooked opportunities by the council to provide prompt mental health support. She noted the failure to refer Rudd to Nottinghamshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) upon her transfer to a children’s facility in the county, leading to a significant delay in receiving CAMHS support. Durran asserted, “Derbyshire County Council was at fault for this missed opportunity to refer Rhianan to Nottinghamshire CAMHS, resulting in her being without CAMHS assistance for an extended period – essentially from May 2021 to May 2022.”

After determining that she couldn’t definitively ascertain Rudd’s intentions, the coroner delivered an open conclusion regarding her death. The coroner stated that the missed opportunities were not systemic and expressed uncertainty regarding Rudd’s intention to end her own life. Rudd’s mother emphasized that her daughter was deprived of the services that could have shielded and supported her, potentially preventing her tragic demise. The Derbyshire County Council has been requested to provide a response

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