Leonard Farruku was unwell and should not have been moved to barge where he took his own life, say sisters
The family of an asylum seeker who died on the Bibby Stockholm believe he would still be alive today had he been properly assessed and treated before being placed on the barge.
Leonard Farruku, 27, died in the bathroom of his shared cabin onboard the barge on 12 December 2023. He had been moved there weeks earlier, after the then Conservative government began using the Bibby Stockholm to house asylum seekers.
At an inquest in Bournemouth this month, the senior coroner Rachael Griffin concluded that he died as a result of suicide.
Farruku’s sisters Marsida Keci and Jola Dushku said in a statement on Monday: “After listening to all the inquest evidence we firmly believe that Leonard was severely mentally unwell between July and December 2023 and in need of urgent assessment and treatment.
