The passing of Matthew Mackell has received a lot of attention on the Internet lately. People are interested in knowing the reason behind the schoolboy’s suicide.
On May 6, 2020, 17-year-old Matthew Mackell of Kent, England, committed suicide.
Matthew had dialed the police emergency number (999) in order to request assistance before his death, however, his call was not prioritized and was not investigated until many hours later.
Following his death, his family demanded that emergency calls pertaining to mental health be handled differently, criticizing the Kent Police for their negligence and poor handling of the case.
The Kent Police responded by publicly apologizing to Matthew’s family and admitting that they had not given him the assistance he required.
Matthew Mackell’s Demise and Memorial
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Matthew passed away on May 7, 2020, having been born on April 13, 2003. In Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, at the Kent and Sussex Crematorium and Cemetery, he was laid to rest.
Prior to taking his own life, the schoolboy had called 999 on May 6th, expressing his sorrow and requesting that someone come to save him.
Even though patrol teams were available that evening, the Year 12 student from Skinners Kent Academy passed away in Dunorlan Park, Tunbridge Wells, early on May 7.
No patrol was sent to look for Matthew since the mapping program’s pinpointing of his position over a wide area led to the decision to downgrade his call from “immediate” to “high” priority.
“Every day, Kent Police responds to a significant number of calls from and about individuals of the mass whose lives are in danger and successfully prioritizes the utilization of limited police resources to manage those risks,” read a statement released on March 8, 2023, by Kent Police, following their acceptance of a claim made by Matthew’s father.
Our police department feels profoundly guilty about not upholding the high standards we set for ourselves. We sincerely apologize to Matthew’s family.
In order to enhance their reaction following Matthew Mackwell’s passing, Kent Police also reviewed its internal policies and procedures regarding calls pertaining to mental health crises and implemented a number of adjustments.
These adjustments included raising the proportion of call handlers with mental health awareness training, putting in place a triage mechanism for calls pertaining to mental health, and enhancing communication between emergency services and call handlers.
Why Did Matthew Mackwell, a schoolboy, commit suicide?
The police claim that Matthew Mackwell hung up his phone after call handler PSE Amy Hopper phoned him back following the upsetting phone call, even if the precise motive for his suicide is yet unknown.
When she inquired for Matthew’s name, he said he was alright and hung up.
She labeled the contact as “immediate” and sent it to the dispatch team, expecting that a patrol would be sent out when the contact was located near Dunorlan Park.
Nevertheless, Matthew Mackell’s tragic death has highlighted the need of mental health awareness campaigns and the necessity of effective crisis intervention services to support individuals who require them.
This instance has also spurred significant conversations about how emergency services may better support individuals experiencing mental health crises.
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