Rapid Response: Justice or misunderstanding? Suicide, complexity, and the price of certainty (BMJ, 12 June 2025)

Summary

The verdict in the case of Alice Figueiredo’s death (9/6/25), finding a hospital and its manager guilty under the Health and Safety at Work Act, raises important and deeply troubling questions. While Alice’s suffering deserves full recognition, and her family’s long campaign for answers commands respect and compassion, the ruling risks reinforcing a simplistic and potentially misleading narrative: that suicide is preventable if only the right steps are taken, writes Rachel K Gibbons, a consultant psychiatrist and independent researcher.

Further reading from Rachel on the hub:

• Understanding the true impact of suicide in inpatient mental health settings: reflections from a psychiatrist