Surveyor, 26, killed herself after being sexually assaulted by man who videoed attack at 21st birthday party, inquest hears
- Sophie Clarke was revising for exams while working for Savills, an inquest heard
- A GP revealed that Sophie was left distressed by a sexual attack by the man
- Inquest was told she was too embarrassed to report it but it had an impact
A surveyor took her own life after she was sexually assaulted by a man who videoed the attack at a 21st birthday party.
Sophie Clarke, 26, was also suffering with stress as she revised for final exams while working for Savills, an inquest in Truro, Cornwall was told today.
The hearing was told Sophie was left distressed by the sexual attack by the man and was too embarrassed to report it – but it had an impact on her.
A GP said that Sophie had been bullied at school and had stopped eating and was ‘incredibly open’ and detailed her past history.
The inquest heard she asked to work from home while working for Savills and revising for her exams, but her boss ‘flatly refused’ her to do this and she was transferred to another team.
Sophie Clarke, 26, was also suffering with stress as she revised for final exams while working for Savills, an inquest was told today
The hearing in Truro, Cornwall, was told that she was in a ‘corporate workplace’ and she did not want to be labelled or stigmatised by being seen to have baggage.
The coroner was told that Sophie had travelled down to her parents’ holiday home at New Polzeath, Cornwall, late last year and spent several days with her parents.
Her mother Sara said Sophie had come down from London for ‘a breather and to concentrate on her revision’.
She was upset when she arrived having said goodbye to her two younger sisters during the weekend in London.
Sophie insisted her parents leave the flat opposite the beach and it was there that she hanged herself.
She was studying for her final post graduate property management exams.
The hearing in Truro, Cornwall, was told that she was in a ‘corporate workplace’ and she did not want to be labelled or stigmatised by being seen to have baggage
She left a handwritten note and the coroner read out part of it which said: ‘I have battled this for so long, literally years. I am at peace with my decision.’
The acting senior coroner for Cornwall Andrew Cox recorded a suicide conclusion.
Her parents Rupert and Sara said Sophie worked for Savills in their graduate programme having obtained a Masters in Real Estate from CASS Business School.
She had six months in Polzeath working remotely during the lockdown – a place which was her spiritual home, they said.
They said she was a fitness fanatic who ran, was a yoga instructor, a waterski instructor, a skilled off piste skier, junior tennis champion and a ‘fanatical paddle boarder’.
They said their daughter was also a talented artist who travelled around the world sketching people and places.
They said she would be remembered for her sense of fun, laughter and spirit of adventure.