Rhianan Rudd inquest statement

Today (Monday 9 June 2025), following the outcome of the inquest into the death of 16-year-old Rhianan Rudd in May 2022, Assistant Chief Constable Di Coulson, speaking on behalf of Counter Terrorism Policing in the East Midlands (CTPEM) and Derbyshire Constabulary, said:

“On behalf of policing, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to Rhianan’s family and loved ones for their terrible loss.

"This was a complex case involving a very vulnerable young person, who had been subjected to radicalisation.

"Rhianan’s tragic death was clearly devastating for her family. It was felt profoundly by the officers directly involved, but also across Counter Terrorism Policing as a whole.

“Rhianan’s case was a stark moment for our management of the growing numbers of children and young people in our casework – so often presenting vulnerability as well as risk and threat to the public.

“Since Rhianan’s death, we continue to work alongside our partners to evolve the way we approach cases involving children and, where feasible, attempt to rehabilitate and deradicalise, rather than investigate and convict.

“We welcome the findings of the Chief Coroner today, and while we have already made substantial improvements to the way we manage these cases, we will carefully review the findings and make any further changes in order to improve our protection of the public against terrorism.”