The David Bennett Inquiry was held in the
UK to look into the death of David "Rocky" Bennett on 30 October 1998 in a medium secure psychiatric unit in
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
, after being restrained by staff.
David Bennett was a 38-year-old African-Caribbean patient, who had had mental illness for 18 years, and had a diagnosis of
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...
. The inquiry concluded that this is due to
institutional racism
Institutional racism, also known as systemic racism, is a form of racism that is embedded in the laws and regulations of a society or an organization. It manifests as discrimination in areas such as criminal justice, employment, housing, health ...
within the mental health services.
The inquiry into the death of David 'Rocky' Bennett recommended that training in cultural competencies should become of paramount importance (Department of Health, 2003).
The incident under mental health services (leading to his death) is widely known. After racial abuse from a different patient in the same room, a fight occurred and David Bennett alone was removed from the room. The resentment of being targeted for blame has been understandably linked to his physical attack on a nurse afterwards. His subsequent physical restrainment included giving a dose of medication that is above the recommended limit (in the British National Formulary), and this directly preceded his tragic death.
See also
*
Stephen Lawrence
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...
External links
Blueprint to eradicate discrimination in the Mental Health Services, UK
Public inquiries in the United Kingdom
History of mental health in the United Kingdom
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