In 2012, 20-year-old Matthew Leahy was sectioned in a mental health hospital in Essex. He had gone there for help for his declining mental health issues.

But Matthew told his mother that he was seeing things on the ward that were criminal. In November 2012, he made a call to the police, and told them he had been drugged and raped. Four days later, he was dead.

And every day since then, his mother Melanie Leahy, has fought for answers and her fight is one of the main reasons there is now a public inquiry.

This is Matthew's story. #matthewscampaign

Follow Melanie Leahy's fight for justice:

https://curementalhealth.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/470129540220825/

To find out more about the Lampard Inquiry:

https://lampardinquiry.org.uk/

Please note this episode includes both references to sexual assault, self-harm and suicide. If you need support, please see the links below to organisations that can help:

https://www.mind.org.uk/ - Mental health & Identity support

https://www.spuk.org.uk/ - Suicide Prevention UK

https://www.samaritans.org/ - The Samaritans

https://988lifeline.org/ - Suicide Prevention USA

https://www.suicidepreventionaust.org/ - Suicide Prevention Australia

https://www.pieta.ie/ - Suicide Prevention Ireland

https://www.thesurvivorstrust.org/ - For people who have been the victim of sexual abuse (UK)

https://www.rainn.org/ - Sexual Abuse Support USA

https://www.nasasv.org.au/support-directory - Sexual Abuse Support Australia

https://www.rcni.ie/useful-links/ - Sexual Abuse Support Ireland

If you would like to support for the show, you can do so here, thank you so much: 

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/podcast4justice

EPUTS ROR via their website:

https://eput.nhs.uk/the-lampard-inquiry/

To see other podcasts by Naomi Channell, please find the information here:

https://linktr.ee/realtruecrimepodcast

Naomi produces a weekly true crime podcast called 'Real', as well as other multipart deep dives including:

'His Name Was Stuart Lubbock'

'Her Name Was Claudia Lawrence'

'Through The Wall: The Case Against Luke Mitchell'

'What Happened To Charlene Downes?'

'Who Killed Billie-Jo?'

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In 2023, the UK government announced it would be investigating the deaths of 2000 patients, who died under Essex mental health services, as part of a public inquiry.

With the inquiry now underway, some of the families of those who lost their lives, whilst in the care of Essex Partnership University Trust and its predecessors, are telling their tragic and heartbreaking stories. Many of these families still have no idea why their loved ones died and they are hoping this inquiry will hold to account those who have repeatedly failed patients in their care.

This series addresses catastrophic failures including proven sexual assaults from staff on patients, the falsifying of care plans after a patient has died, unexplained deaths and reviews harrowing undercover footage from inside two mental health inpatient wards in Essex. This series has been made with the aim of giving grieving families a voice, advocate for change and to be part of the campaign to prevent future deaths.

#matthewscampaign

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