Overview
- Emily and Mark Pulman have launched a High Court human rights claim against Sussex Police over its handling of their 15-year-old transgender son’s disappearance.
- An inquest jury in April 2023 found that multiple services, including Sussex Police, failed to assess Jason’s emotional and mental health needs and responded inadequately when he went missing.
- Court documents state that Jason was graded medium risk, his case was not reviewed by an officer for over three hours and no policing presence reached his home for nearly 10 hours, nor was British Transport Police notified promptly.
- The Pulmans, supported by Nick Armstrong KC, accuse the force of flip-flopping on its admission of failings and question whether any substantive reforms have followed coroner recommendations.
- Sussex Police says it has introduced contingency measures and formed a multi-agency group to protect vulnerable children, but has limited public comments to condolences while the legal action proceeds.