MP to highlight girl’s tragic story to urge parents to report councils to police over special needs failures

MP to highlight girl’s tragic story to urge parents to report councils to police over special needs failures Lib Dem MP Chris Coghlan is set to raise the case of Eivie White in PMQs as he warns of ‘epidemic of suicide’ of children with special needs (SEND) - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in An MP will use his question in PMQs on Wednesday to call for families of children with special needs who have been let down by the local councils to report them to the police for criminal misconduct. Lib Dem Dorking and Horley MP Chris Coghlan will raise the specific case of 13-year-old Eivie White from Maidstone , in Kent, who took her own life in part because of failures by her local authority. He has collated 1,253 testimonies of families of SEND children covering 134 different councils who have been failed by the authorities amid growing concerns over the government’s plans to reform special educational needs. The MP has warned of a “suicide epidemic” among failed children with the 1,253 cases involving 205 suicide attempts - 200 by children five by parents. He plans to raise Eivie’s case on Wednesday when he has a question to Andy Burnham in PMQs. Mr Coghlan has warned that councils have “weaponised” the tribunal system to prevent parents from accessing the help they need for their children while gathering evidence that councils have refused to engage directly with families. He said: “I have provided the government with over 1,200 families testimonies of misconduct, including some allegedly criminal, towards SEND children across 134 local authorities, including over 200 related to suicide. “Not only has the government failed to act, but it plans to reduce children’s legal protections from the very institutions causing them harm. I am now working with some of these families on potential criminal prosecutions.” Eivie, who had been diagnosed with severe autism, was 13 when she tragically killed herself at the family home in Maidstone in March 2023 after a series of alleged failures by Kent County Council. Having been diagnosed with severe autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) at primary school, Eivie’s family was initially turned down for support by Kent County Council and only received it when her primary school pushed for it. Her secondary school did not fully provide the support she needed, but the council again opposed a move to a specialist school. Throughout Eivie never received a face-to-face meeting with her case officer from the council, even though there was an education, help and support plan (EHCP) in place which put a statutory duty on the local authority. Then after her death the council initially refused to move her heartbroken family to a different home, forcing Eivie’s sister to sleep in the same room where her sister had died. It then took four months once they finally agreed to a relocation. Eivie’s mother Shelley, a cleaner, told The Independent: “We trusted the council, the trained professionals to do the right thing and to provide the support Eivie needed.” She still has to pass the family’s former home for work and describes it as “triggering”. “We still feel very angry,” she said. Campaigners are looking at reporting Eivie’s case to the police but need to see if the statute of limitations would prevent them. Campaigner Jenny Haines, the chair of the national send charity SOSSEN, told The Independent: “Eivie’s story is haunting. It may also be far less exceptional than we would like to believe. She first absconded from school at just seven. By secondary school, she was acutely vulnerable, socially isolated and showing clear signs of crisis, despite the support her EHCP should have ensured. “When a child in care dies, the council must report it to Ofsted and the Secretary of State. But when a child with an EHCP dies, there is no equivalent requirement triggered by their EHCP, and no automatic scrutiny of whether the council fulfilled its legal duties to the child. “Accountability for those duties doesn’t end with a child’s death. Yet in Eivie’s case, we have found no evidence that anyone has examined whether they were met.” In February 2026, the Labour government under former education secretary Bridget Phillipson published major SEND reform proposals in the schools white paper Every Child Achieving and Thriving, accompanied by a consultation - “SEND reform: putting children and young people first”. There will be around £4bn of extra funding with an expansion of legal rights via Individual Support Plans (ISPs), but campaigners fear that it will not deal with the problems within the system. Since then, Lucy Powell has become education secretary with ongoing questions over whether she will stick to the plans published earlier this year. The Independent has contact Kent County Council for a response. If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email [email protected], or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branchIf you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments [Image text:] 28 12 25 20 July Olsdo 30