Severely anorexic teen kills herself five days after being released from hospital against family’s wishes

Pippa McManus stepped in front of a moving train five days after being released from inpatient treatment

A 15-year-old girl who had been struggling with anorexia and depression for years took her own life just five days after being released from a well-known psychiatric hospital in England.

According to the BBC, Pippa McManus, 15, stepped in front of a moving train on December 15 just days after being released from the Priory hospital after a yearlong stay. The teen reportedly fled home after an argument with her parents about her excessive exercising, announcing on her way out that she intended to take her own life. She went to nearby railroad tracks and jumped in front of a train before anyone could stop her.

A jury at an inquest into Pippa’s death has found that Priory did not adequately arrange for post-release care and monitoring of the teen, who began to exhibit symptoms of a severe eating disorder at the age of 12.

According to the Telegraph, the jury concluded that Priory offered “inadequate engagement of community support” for the girl’s family “failure to implement a care plan in a timely manner.” The teen was reportedly not a suicide risk at the time of her release, but the Daily Mail reports that her parents had reservations about their daughter’s release but were “left with no choice,” as the hospital stay was funded by NHS England.

At the inquest, Pippa’s mother Marie reportedly spoke about the need for more vigilant care and support for at-risk patients.

Effective treatment is needed more quickly and if this had been available to our beautiful daughter, maybe she would still be alive today, maybe we would not have needed this inquest,” Marie said, according to the BBC.

Pippa had been temporarily released from the hospital for a home visit several months earlier, the Daily Mail reports, but was returned to the hospital after her family found several letters that appeared to be suicide notes.

‘I cannot fight anorexia any more than I have done,” she reportedly wrote in one of those letters. “I have tried so very hard, but it has won me.’

 

Photo: Facebook/Remembering Pippa McManus