Oxford University has been hit by a second sudden student death - just days after news of a tormented student killing himself made headlines. Neuroscience PHD student Cal Shearer, 25, who is said to have 'radiated warmth to all those around them', was found hanged in digs at St John's College in the city on October 30.
Oh, if only there had been some warning?
Caring Cal, who was autistic and transgender, volunteered talking to callers to The Samaritans helpline, but privately battled with their own mental health struggles.
Truly, the blind leading the blind! What sort of parents produced this disaster, I wonder?
Cal's parents, former Fast Show actor Paul Shearer and former former children's TV presenter turned actress and film producer Vicky Licorish are understood to have been left devastated - as is longtime family friend, acclaimed author Jeanette Winterson.
Aha! I suspect this is a clue...
Imogen, Cal's long term friend, then partner and, last year, wife never left their side. 'Now working for the NHS, Imogen tried to secure Cal the right treatment for this all too prevalent but not yet understood crisis of suicides amongst autistic people identifying as trans.'
I think it's perfectly understood - unstable people do unstable things. I'll reserve my sympathy in her case, as I don't think anything of value was lost, unlike other cases:
Alexander Rogers, known as Xander, found himself frozen out by his social circle after he had sex with a female friend who told other male students she had felt 'discomfort' about the encounter, a coroner heard. Despite having no intentions of reporting the incident, two male friends confronted the third year student, telling Alexander he had 'messed up' and they 'needed space from him'. The next day, the undergraduate jumped into the River Thames from Donnington Bridge and died from serious head injuries.
Poor guy should have realised his chosen 'social circle' weren't real friends at all, and he was well rid of them.
The Department of Education has since been urged by coroner Nicholas Graham to review the 'cancel culture' phenomenon sweeping across university campuses in the UK.
What are they supposed to do about it?
Might be useful to carry out some research into the prevalence of autism and gender dysphoria diagnoses in young people versus parental attitudes.
ReplyDeleteI confidently predict no such research will ever be carried out.
DeleteEver since our tertiary education establishments became centres of wokery & left-wing indoctrination together with Blair's ridiculous "All must go to university" ideology, the increase of such happenings became inevitable. The left's tolerance and inclusivity extend only towards those who echo the trending attitudes and so "cancel culture" is an automatic extension of that mindset.
ReplyDeleteBlair's adoption of Rudi Dutschke's "Lomg march through the institutions" bore fruit with his politicisation of the Civil Service, the Police, the Media, and Academia to ensure they turn out cohorts of left-wing idealogues, brainwashed and conditioned to Blair's plans.
The Tories' demon eyes "New Labour, New Danger" posters of 1997 were remarkably prescient.
Have a post in draft about the feeble attitudes to stress and setbacks expressed by modern youth which will add to the wealth of evidence...
Delete