Laura O’Neill of BBC News in Manchester reported on the tragic case of Kimberley McAssey, a young mother who was found dead after lying unresponsive for 30 hours before emergency services were called. This heartbreaking incident occurred in February 2021, when Kimberley had been drinking and taking drugs with her friend Ryan Sheridan. Instead of immediately contacting emergency services, Sheridan first reached out to his mother, who also delayed before eventually dialing 999. The delay in getting help made it impossible to determine Kimberley’s cause of death, leaving her family with unanswered questions and everlasting grief.
Kimberley’s family was shocked and outraged to discover that there is currently no law in England requiring individuals to seek help in an emergency unless there is a duty of care. The McAssey family, based in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, has launched a campaign urging the government to criminalize intentional delays in reaching out to emergency services during a medical crisis. Kimberley’s mother, Karrie McAssey, lamented the tremendous loss of her daughter and emphasized the importance of ensuring that no other family experiences their pain and suffering.
The details revealed during the inquest painted a tragic picture of the events leading to Kimberley’s death. She had visited Sheridan, whom she had known for years, and their night consisted of drinking and consuming MDMA before engaging in sexual activity. The coroner concluded that Kimberley became unresponsive during their encounter, and Sheridan did not take any action upon realizing her death until more than a day later. Sheridan’s mother, Emma Heydon, was also complicit in the delay, first going out to buy food before contacting emergency services.
The McAssey family’s campaign, known as Kimberley’s Law, aims to prevent similar tragedies by advocating for legal consequences for purposefully delaying calling emergency services during a medical emergency. The family’s efforts have garnered support, with a petition collecting over 7,000 signatures for the matter to be addressed in parliament. While acknowledging challenges in legislating on such matters, experts like Professor Amel Alghrani emphasize the need to reconsider the absence of relevant laws in England compared to other European countries. The family persists in their quest for justice and closure, hoping that Kimberley’s untimely death will inspire positive change to protect vulnerable individuals in society
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