rahli Posted December 8, 2009 The New South Wales coroner has found that a woman who jumped to her death from an office window had a mental condition caused by a self-help course. Rebekah Lawrence, 34, jumped naked from the window in Sydney's CBD in December 2005. An inquest heard that days earlier she had gone on a self-help course called The Turning Point which encouraged participants to express extreme emotion when they were vulnerable. The coroner has found that the act of jumping from the window was the tragic culmination of a psychosis which had its origins in the course. He said Ms Lawrence was acting in a child-like manner, singing and shouting as she jumped. An autopsy found no drugs or alcohol in her system. The coroner has recommended the tighter regulation of practitioners who run self-help courses. Rebekah Lawrence's sister, Kate Lawrence-Haynes, welcomed the findings. Outside the court she warned others about the dangers of the self-help industry. "If they don't tell you what is in the courses before you attend them and promise you the world, promise you happiness, then that's a red flag for them not being genuine," she said. "They are businesses as much as anything. In part they are cults so be careful and do your homework." Link Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
strangebrew Posted December 8, 2009 Maybe they should've called that course The Breaking Point. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiral Posted December 9, 2009 The New South Wales coroner has found that a woman who jumped to her death from an office window had a mental condition caused by a self-help course. Rebekah Lawrence, 34, jumped naked from the window in Sydney's CBD in December 2005. An inquest heard that days earlier she had gone on a self-help course called The Turning Point which encouraged participants to express extreme emotion when they were vulnerable. The coroner has found that the act of jumping from the window was the tragic culmination of a psychosis which had its origins in the course. He said Ms Lawrence was acting in a child-like manner, singing and shouting as she jumped. An autopsy found no drugs or alcohol in her system. The coroner has recommended the tighter regulation of practitioners who run self-help courses. Rebekah Lawrence's sister, Kate Lawrence-Haynes, welcomed the findings. Outside the court she warned others about the dangers of the self-help industry. "If they don't tell you what is in the courses before you attend them and promise you the world, promise you happiness, then that's a red flag for them not being genuine," she said. "They are businesses as much as anything. In part they are cults so be careful and do your homework." Link I heard about this yesty on the radio whilst driving and found it quite interesting. There must be a lot more to this story than the general media has printed, I'll have a dig around and see what I can find. The coroner has recommended the tighter regulation of practitioners who run self-help courses. Since when does the coroners opinion have anything to do with it...? Is the coroner now a consultant to the national self help industry...I seem to remember professor David Nutt suggesting that alcohol was far more dangerous than MDMA and the poor sod lost his position for said comments. I thought coroners were supposed to be purely science based or do they act as a bipartisan go betweens for local gov't and the health authority...? The coroner has found that the act of jumping from the window was the tragic culmination of a psychosis which had its origins in the course. Okay, can someone please explain how on earth the coroner came to those conclusions with a dead body...? I was not aware that a body could give out information about psychosis and how a course days before is the cause... Those are some pretty bizarre findings...and I've watched every episode of NCIS and CSI. "If they don't tell you what is in the courses before you attend them and promise you the world, promise you happiness, then that's a red flag for them not being genuine," she said. Be careful there sister as this may sound like self help advice and you could end up being the cause of someones death. Mind you if someone was to make claims that they could give me the world and happiness, I'd prolly laugh in their face and keep walking, whereas if they said they would like to work hard and long at my goals with no guarantee of success, but if you don't try you will never know....then I might seriously contemplate what they had to offer. I find this whole story intriguing and quite bizarre to say the least. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
momomoto Posted December 9, 2009 i instantly thought there must be more to it. much peace to family involved Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shruman Posted December 9, 2009 (edited) "Okay, can someone please explain how on earth the coroner came to those conclusions with a dead body...? I was not aware that a body could give out information about psychosis and how a course days before is the cause... Those are some pretty bizarre findings...and I've watched every episode of NCIS and CSI." So that makes you an expert on television than?, jokes aside. More than just looking at a dead body, they held an inquest (its in the article). They would have interviewed family & friends & people she had contact with & people at the seminar, who supply info to the coroners inquest, so the coroner can make a finding. "Since when does the coroners opinion have anything to do with it...? Is the coroner now a consultant to the national self help industry" Have to do with what exactly?, the coroner makes findings & gives reccomendations, in this case probly to whatever governmental body that deals with the industry, thats their job. Not everythings a scam, some level of scepticism is good though, irrational noids not so good. Dunno what to feel about the article, well aside sadness for her family, maybe how great a postion of power realy is. Scary stuff realy. Heres a pretty good description: "An inquest is a court hearing in which a Coroner gathers information to assist in determining the cause and circumstances of death, and to make recommendations which may prevent similar deaths occurring in the future. The Coroner's Court calls witnesses to give evidence of what they know about the death. An inquest is not a trial. It is an investigative process to shed light on the cause and circumstances of a death. It is not the role of the Coroner's Court to establish whether a crime has been committed or to find a person guilty of that crime. Nor is it the Court's role to make judgments about matters of civil liability." http://www.courts.sa.gov.au/courts/coroner/vtour/inquests.html Edited December 9, 2009 by shruman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
