William Chapman's family raises concerns over mental health services contact as tiger attack inquest opens in Doncaster
William Chapman, the former child actor killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, whose family said he had suffered 'significant mental illness over a number of years' and had been prescribed 'strong medication.'Altai, the five-year-old Amur tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, whose enclosure William Chapman vaulted into on Saturday after witnesses described him as 'not attached to reality.'
William Chapman's family told Doncaster Coroner's Court they have "a number of concerns" about how mental health services had engaged with him in the period leading up to his death — he was killed by tiger Altai at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on October 10. The 24-year-old, a former child actor diagnosed with schizophrenia, had experienced recurring psychosis and was under the care of Doncaster Mental Health Services at the time. A post-mortem examination returned a provisional cause of death of "multiple traumatic injuries" and "animal interaction." The full inquest is scheduled for March 18 next year.
Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust has commissioned a Patient Safety Incident Investigation into Chapman's contact with services.
Eyewitness Anthony Hunt reportedly said Chapman appeared to bow before the tiger and opened his arms as if to say 'come here tiger, kill me'.
Chapman's family say they are hopeful authorities will establish 'why our amazing son did what he did'.
