A woman who was left shocked after discovering a man’s body in Chippenham has been ‘neglected’ by the police, her partner claims.
Trina Rankin found Mark Goard deceased in a public toilet last Friday (3 September) after attempting to close the door after it was wedged open.
Her partner, Jason told Wiltshire 999s that nobody from Wiltshire Police contacted her to check on her welfare following the incident she found herself involved with.
‘I would expect the police officers who attended this incident to receive chain of care while still on shift if they need it, but it’s disappointing the general public are missed out’, he said.
He continued: ‘We are all human and deal with things differently. I thought there should have at least been a courtesy from someone asking if she’s OK.
‘Not enough is being done for members of the public who see things they wish they didn’t and I think that needs changing, especially in this day and age when depression is at its highest since the pandemic.’
Wiltshire Police said it is unable to provide support to everyone involved in distressing incidents. The force advised members of the public to seek help from their doctor.
In a statement, they wrote: “Our officers and staff deal with difficult or traumatic incidents day in day out as a routine part of their job.
“However, we appreciate that members of the public who inadvertently find themselves as witnesses to certain events may find them particularly distressing.
“While we cannot provide formal support to everyone, we would always advise anyone struggling to speak to their GP.
“We also have specially-trained family liaison officers who are deployed in certain incidents, such as fatal road traffic collisions or suspicious deaths, who can provide support or signpost to specific agencies when dealing with those who have lost a loved one.”
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