Rhianan Rudd: Mum of Derbyshire teen who took her own life following terrorism charges says inquest raises issues of “state responsibility”

Emily Carter’s barrister Jesse Nicholls told judge coroner Alexia Durran the family of teenager Rhianan Rudd was seeking a “thorough investigation” into her “public exposure” and any failings to “protect her from harm”.

Rhianan – found dead in a children’s home aged just 16 in May 2022 – had moved to Derbyshire from Essex in 2012.

At the age of 14 the teenager had developed an obsession with right-wing extremism and by September 2020 her concerned mother referred her to government de-radicalisation scheme Prevent.

Rhianan was arrested by counter-terror detectives a month later and bailed as a terrorism suspect.

During police interviews she described being coerced and sexually groomed by a prominent American right-wing extremist – information that eventually led the Government to conclude she had been exploited.

However, in the months before Rhianan was finally charged, none of the organisations involved in the investigation referred her to the specialist Home Office unit that considers such cases.

It was not until December 2021 that the prosecution was halted, after Derbyshire County Council referred her to the Home Office as a possible victim of exploitation.

At a pre-inquest review concerning her death today (Monday) at Chesterfield Coroners Court, addressing judge coroner Durran, barrister Mr Nicholls said Rhianan’s mother Ms Carter hoped the full inquest later this year would save others “anguish” she had suffered.

Mr Nicholls told the inquest review, being held at The Old Bailey, national security organisation MI5 “were involved in investigating” Rhianan’s case.

He added: “They had evidence Rhianan was being groomed months before she was subject to criminal investigation.”

He described how, during an earlier hearing in May the Government’s legal team had “neither confirmed not denied” MI5’s involvement in “open court”.

Adding that “national security-sensitive information may be relevant” to the inquest, Mr Nicholls has pushed for a public admission from MI5 that they were involved.

The court heard a number of “interested parties” involved in Rhianan’s case had been identified, including the Chief Constable of Derbyshire Police, Derbyshire County Council, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Home Secretary and Blue Mountain Homes – where Rhianan had been was living.

The full inquest, provisionally set to be heard in Chesterfield in July or August, is expected to examine the following issues:

- Events which were likely to have affected Rhianan’s mental health and well-being

- When she became interested in extreme right wing material or influenced by extremist organisations

- Why police police became involved and investigated Rhianan and why the prosecution was later withdrawn

- Any arrangements put in place for Rhianan while she was being investigated

- What arrangements there were for Rhianan after the prosecution was abandoned

- Any signs Rhianan had previously self-harmed, the risks of future self-harm and whether she showed signs of self-harm in the weeks leading to her death

in May 2022

- Whether Rhianan showed signs of being autistic and whether that was known to organisations involved