Transgender student lay undiscovered for two days

The body of an 18-year-old transgender woman lay undiscovered for two days in her flat, an inquest heard.

Emma Alraabeah came to the UK in 2022 - aged 16 - after fearing persecution in her home country of Saudi Arabia.

The emergency services were called to her flat in Harlow, Essex, on 26 June 2024 by a friend who said Ms Alraabeah had talked about taking her own life and had not answered her phone or messages for two days.

Senior coroner for Essex, Lincoln Brookes, recorded a verdict of suicide.

The court was told Ms Alraabeah's birthname was Suliman Khalid and she started identifying as trans/non-binary aged 14 and made the decision to leave her family to come to the UK.

She told her GP in Harlow that changing gender in Saudi Arabia could result in prison or death, so she had come to the UK as a "separated migrant".

The coroner heard she had been in a foster placement initially before moving to supported accommodation on the 14th floor of Terminus House, a tower block in the middle of Harlow.

In a statement read to the court, Dr Imran Parwes GP, said she had requested to start hormone treatment "to begin the process of having a feminine body" in October 2022.

She told the doctor her family would not accept her trans identity and had sent them a WhatsApp message when she arrived in the UK before deleting the app.

Her family were made aware of the inquest but did not attend, Mr Brookes said.

The coroner also said Ms Alraabeah, a student at Harlow College, had not requested a gender recognition certificate, but "had chosen a female lifestyle and the pronouns she/her", which he added was "being respected by those who worked with her".

The inquest was told a multi-agency meeting was held after Ms Alraabeah's death, which established she had not mentioned any intention to harm herself to social workers - but was living what was described as an "online life" at the time of her death.

The court heard she "isolated herself in the period before she died" and had "issues of self-neglect".

In his conclusion, Mr Brookes said: "I am cognisant of the fact she was in a foreign country, away from her birth family.

"I have no doubt the journey she was on came with lots of other difficulties - being a young trans person alongside the difficulties any teenager has to put up with."

Acting Insp Paul Sheldrake from Essex Police said officers were satisfied there were no signs of third-party involvement.

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