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A coroner has determined that Carly Wealleans, a 30-year-old postwoman, took her own life following sexual assault by a colleague and inadequate responses from management. At the time of her death in March 2022 at her home in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, Ms Wealleans was reportedly on a phone call with a Royal Mail manager. Her general practitioner confirmed that the primary source of her anxiety was the harassment she endured at work and the insufficient support from her employers.
Michael Stewart, a fellow employee based at the Morpeth Delivery Office, was subsequently imprisoned for six and a half years in January for sexually assaulting five women, including Ms Wealleans. The judge overseeing the case recognized that Ms Wealleans’ death was a direct consequence of Stewart’s misconduct. The inquest revealed that Ms Wealleans, who had previously served four years in the Army and was an avid boxer, initially brought up concerns about Stewart’s “unwanted sexual banter and comments” in April 2021.
In response to the complaint, management reportedly gave Stewart a “stern word,” after which he apologized; however, he also claimed to have been reassured by his superiors that he was a valuable employee and they did not wish to lose him. This ambiguous stance caused Ms Wealleans confusion and distress. Although no further formal complaints were officially recorded until November 2021, Royal Mail’s operations manager acknowledged that this did not rule out the possibility of other unreported incidents. During the inquest, it emerged that Stewart eventually exposed himself to Ms Wealleans and sexually assaulted her, actions that prompted Ms Wealleans to file a formal grievance. Stewart was allowed to resign that same month, and both Royal Mail and Northumbria Police launched investigations into the allegations.
Ms Wealleans’ mental health visibly declined following these events. She took stress leave beginning in December 2021 and remained in touch with her GP, who prescribed antidepressants and provided ongoing support. Despite this, she expressed frustration about the slow progress of the investigations. Prior to these incidents, Ms Wealleans had limited engagement with healthcare services related to mental health, although she had a history of anxiety and depression. The inquest also revealed that she attempted an overdose in January 2022 but appeared to find some comfort in getting a puppy. Tragically, she died by hanging during a distressed phone call with a Royal Mail HR manager on 11 March 2022.
Royal Mail’s leadership, including operations manager Scott Kippen and interim chief people officer Kieran Judd, formally apologized to Ms Wealleans’ family for failing to adequately protect her. An independent review highlighted systemic shortcomings at the Morpeth office, such as poor record-keeping, a lack of understanding regarding consent, and insufficient skills among management to handle serious complaints properly. In response, Royal Mail has implemented a mandatory sexual harassment training program completed by nearly all employees and revamped processes to ensure serious complaints are now handled by a central team rather than local managers. Improvements have also been made to whistleblowing procedures and mental health support systems. Mr Judd described the tragedy as a “significant wake-up call” and acknowledged that while progress has been made, changes would remain ongoing.
Concluding the inquest, coroner Andrew Hetherington stated that Ms Wealleans had suffered “significant difficulties in the workplace” due to the inappropriate behavior of a colleague. Despite filing formal complaints and grievances, her concerns were not addressed adequately, resulting in escalating distress that severely impacted her mental health. The coroner noted that Royal Mail accepted responsibility for failing in its duty of care, and he was satisfied that the organization had taken lessons from the case
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