A UNIVERSITY professor is backing parents in their campaign for a statutory public inquiry into the deaths of around 2,000 mental health patients in Essex.

Top autism expert Prof Sir Simon Baron-Cohen is the cousin of Ali G and Borat comedian Sacha Baron Cohen.

He was approached by two bereaved parents, Melanie Leahy, from the Maldon area, and Julia Hopper.

They are campaigning for the Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry to be given statutory status, which would mean staff can be forced to give evidence.

Melanie, from the Maldon area, launched a campaign after son Matthew died, aged 20, at Chelmsford's Linden Centre mental health unit in 2012.

He was at the centre for just seven days in the lead up to his death.

The Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry is gathering evidence about mental health inpatient deaths over a 21-year period.

An initial figure of 1,500 deaths based on information from the Essex Partnership NHS Trust (EPUT) was announced in March 2022.

They all died while they were patients on a mental health ward in Essex, or within three months of being discharged, between 2000 and 2020.

It was confirmed in January the number of deaths under investigation is now closer to 2,000.

The inquiry wrote to 14,000 current and former EPUT staff, but just 11 agreed to give evidence.

Inquiry chair Dr Geraldine Strathdee described the response as “hugely disappointing”.

Sir Simon - director of the Autism Centre of Excellence at Cambridge - was contacted by Ms Leahy and Ms Hopper, whose son Christopher died after falling from a bridge.

He said: “I want to lend my support to these remarkable campaigners and courageous parents.

“Melanie and Julia have shared their concerns that autistic people are disproportionately affected by the impacts of the alleged failings in mental health services.

“We need to conduct research that will provide the scientific evidence that leads to recommendations for suicide prevention in the future.”

Priya Singh, of Hodge Jones and Allen solicitors, who is representing the families, said there are still "many unanswered questions".

“We know from our legal work that current mental healthcare services in Essex are failing some of the most vulnerable members of our society," she said.

“A statutory public inquiry is the only way we can compel witnesses to attend and ensure the relevant evidence is obtained.

“It is only by understanding what has gone so terribly wrong in these services that we will learn how to put things right and to bring about the changes that are so urgently needed.”