Father of autistic schoolgirl who took her own life ‘wandered streets for hours’

The father of an autistic teenage girl who took her own life at her boarding school after being given a detention has said he wandered aimlessly through the streets in grief after learning the news.

Jonathan Scott-Lee learned of the death of his 16-year-old daughter Caitlyn after she was found in the grounds of £44,000-a-year Wycombe Abbey, Bucks, on April 21. She had been due to have a two-hour “headmistress’s detention”, her first-ever punishment.

Caitlyn, who was suffering from anxiety and depression and had autism, had become “hyper-fixated” on the punishment, imposed after vodka and a tattoo kit were found in her music locker just before the Easter holidays.

She had contacted a GP but was deemed to be “low risk” of suicide and only offered an appointment only the following month.

Mr Scott-Lee, 42, was told of her death in a call from Jo Duncan, the school’s head teacher. He had not known before that she had been suicidal.

The banking technology executive said: “Just after Caitlyn died, I went straight to London and spent some time there. I had a day or so where I was just lost – you don’t know what to do after your daughter has died.

“So I just start walking the streets of London, I was literally walking the streets of London aimlessly not knowing where to go and I stumble into Piccadilly Arcade.”

Mr Scott-Lee’s attention was caught by a selection of signet rings in the window of Deakin & Francis, and he revealed his loss to the shopkeeper.

He added: “They said: ‘Gosh, we have heard about this,’ and a couple of days later they got in touch to see if there was anything they could do to honour Caitlyn’s memory.”

The gift of a signet ring bearing the logo of a robin, containing strands of Caitlin’s hair, and etched with her body tattoos of a camera and a note, along with her name is still treasured by Mr Scott-Lee, who is taking a bereavement sabbatical from HSBC.

He wears the ring on the little finger of his right hand in memory of his daughter, whose memorial page has raised £13,000 for the RSPB, her favourite charity.

Since Caitlyn’s death, her father has met peers and was invited to Lambeth Palace to meet Tosin Oladipo, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s chaplain.

After her funeral, he arrived back at his Toronto home to find a letter from Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister.

He has also had a subsequent meeting with Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, and Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, with further talks due to take place with Prof Simon Baron-Cohen of the University of Cambridge, who is one of the world’s leading autism experts.

“I’m open to seeing what we can do to raise awareness of autism and suicide prevention,” said Mr Scott-Lee. “I also had a face-to-face meeting with Steve Barclay of the NHS and his leadership team. I was very grateful that he invited me to meet him in July and has committed to a follow-up meeting with industry specialists.”

Caitlyn’s inquest had been due to be heard on September 14, but will now take place early next year.

Mr Scott-Lee said there had been minimal communication with Wycombe Abbey, established in 1896, since Caitlyn’s service of remembrance. Within a week of her death, he was advised by the coroner that the school had appointed a lawyer.

“In the early days, the contact with the school was almost daily and consistent,” he said. “After the funeral, it has just gone quiet, possibly given the summer holidays.

“I’ve always said to the school I do not blame the school, although it would be prudent to explore improvements. As a father, it is important that I honour Caitlyn the best I can.”

Wycombe Abbey said it was left “deeply shocked” by Caitlyn’s death and that she would be “hugely missed.”

A spokeswoman for the school said: “The school was left profoundly shocked by Caitlyn’s untimely death and we have remained in touch with her family, most recently to forward her posthumous GCSE results to her parents.

“Caitlyn was a highly valued member of our school community, a bright and talented young woman with enormous promise who will never be forgotten here. She is hugely missed by all of us.”

The school offers access to in-house counsellors and well-being centre along with learning support staff to aid pupils.