Elizabeth Coriat: Failed by the System, Killed by Her Son

Sinister South

In August 2012, 76-year-old Elizabeth Coriat was found dead in her Forest Hill flat. She had been killed – and decapitated – by her own son, Daniel. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, known to mental health services, and had made disturbing statements about Elizabeth long before her death. Despite this, he was discharged and deemed low risk. No safeguarding. No crisis intervention. No support for Elizabeth.
What happened to her wasn’t just a brutal act – it was the tragic end point of a system that ignored warning after warning.
In this episode, we unpack how the mental health system failed both Elizabeth and Daniel, the gendered burden of care that mothers so often carry alone, and why these cases keep happening without national attention.
Also, yes – we open with a bit of chaos. There’s accidental drinking, theatre trips, mum group antics, and the re-emergence of the word drinkage. But we get serious fast.

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https://www.femicidecensus.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2000-Women-full-report.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/05/more-than-170-mothers-killed-by-sons-15-years-uk-report
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Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)