Chanyang Li: Prevention of future deaths report
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Date of report: 22/04/2024
Ref: 2024-0212
Deceased name: Chanyang Li
Coroner name: Melanie Lee
Coroner Area: Inner North London
Category: Suicide (from 2015)
This report is being sent to: Scape Living Student Accommodation
| REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS | |
|---|---|
| THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO: 1. Scape Living Student Accommodation, Scape Operations Ltd, Link Company Matters Limited, Cardale Park, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 1RY; cc Neil Smith, Managing Director, 6th Floor, 65 Gresham Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2V 7NQ | |
| 1 | CORONER I am: Melanie Sarah Lee Assistant Coroner Inner North London St Pancras Coroner’s Court Camley Street London N1C 4PP |
| 2 | CORONER’S LEGAL POWERS I make this report under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, paragraph 7, Schedule 5, and The Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013, regulations 28 and 29. |
| 3 | INVESTIGATION and INQUEST An investigation was commenced into the death of Chanyang Li, aged 23 years, on 16 October 2023. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 5 April 2024. I made a determination at inquest of suicide. |
| 4 | CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH At the time of his death, Chenyang was a third year undergraduate student on a BSc Statistics, Economics and Finance degree programme at UCL. On 30 September 2023 Chenyang returned to Scape Bloomsbury at approximately 8.30am. He made his way to the 6th floor and let himself in to a friend’s apartment. Having entered the apartment, Yang went immediately to the window and climbed out of it, falling onto the concrete below. He died shortly afterwards from multiple severe injuries. A police investigation described the window as follows: The window …is situated within the kitchen/lounge space. Window is metal framed, right side hung. The window has a windowsill in front of the interior side which is 74ccm from the interior floor, sill width is 38cm from front of sill to window. Beneath the window is a small fixed panel window. Window is 125cm from the interior floor, 44cm in width, 76cm in height. At the time of attendance, the window was open to its widest aperture which is 55cm. The National Code of Standards for Larger Developments for student accommodation not managed and controlled by educational establishments, under which Scope Bloomsbury is accredited, states at paragraph 6.30: All windows above ground-floor level will be fitted with stops to prevent over-opening. |
| 5 | CORONER’S CONCERNS During the course of the inquest, the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In my opinion, there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken. In the circumstances, it is my statutory duty to report to you. The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows. Students falling or jumping from windows is a known risk. Chenyang was able to easily jump to death from a 6th story window. Scope Bloomsbury is one of a number of is part of Scape Living Student Accommodation, a provider of purpose designed, student accommodation. The window Chenyang jumped from does not appear to have been fitted with any, or sufficient, form of window restrictors at all or as required under the National Code of Standards accreditation. |
| 6 | ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe that you and/or your organisation have the power to take such action. |
| 7 | YOUR RESPONSE You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report, namely by 17 June 2024. I, the coroner, may extend the period. Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out the timetable for action. Otherwise you must explain why no action is proposed. |
| 8 | COPIES and PUBLICATION I have sent a copy of my report to the following. Family of Chanyang Li [REDACTED] Director of Student Support and Wellbeing and Safeguarding Lead, UCL National Code Administrator and Unipol Student Home: 155-157 Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 2ED NUS, [REDACTED] Association for Student Residential Accommodation, HHJ Thomas Teague QC, the Chief Coroner of England & Wales I am also under a duty to send a copy of your response to the Chief Coroner and all interested persons who in my opinion should receive it. I may also send a copy of your response to any other person who I believe may find it useful or of interest. The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted or summary form. He may send a copy of this report to any person who he believes may find it useful or of interest. You may make representations to me, the coroner, at the time of your response, about the release or the publication of your response. |
| 9 | 22 April 2024 |