Parents pursue civil claim against carers following inquest

An inquest into baby Olivia’s tragic death took place at Brighton & Hove Coroner Service from October 5-9, however the family are saying they still have unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding the loss of their daughter.

The court heard that Olivia died on September 19 2024 at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, from hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopath.

It was also heard that the baby’s death resulted from her mother suffering a two-stage spontaneous rupture of her splenic artery.

Although the Coroner gave a narrative verdict and concluded that Olivia died of natural causes, she crucially identified opportunities for improvement in communication within the medical care provided during the events leading up to Olivia's birth.

Olivia Trupiano’s parents are now pursuing a civil legal claim against those involved in her care after an inquest into her death concluded.

For the family, the inquest conclusion marks another stage in their search for answers and they feel let down by the limitations of the inquest process.

Ms Newark, Olivia’s mother said: “Nothing will ever change the fact that we lost our much-loved daughter and that loss is something we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.

“We want Olivia to be remembered not just for the circumstances of her death, but for who she was to us, our beautiful, cherished daughter and sister to her older siblings.

"She brought immense love and joy into our lives during the few precious days we had with her. Not a day goes by that we do not think about her. Every milestone, every family occasion and every ordinary day reminds us of what we have lost.

“However, if pursuing answers through our ongoing legal action and continuing our fight in her name helps improve understanding and raises awareness about pregnancy-related emergencies like splenic artery rupture, and that future families are prevented from experiencing the same heartbreak we have, then that is something we owe to her.

"We have always said that we wanted answers about what happened to our daughter and whether anything could have been done differently and if there were lessons that could be learned. While we welcomed the opportunity to hear the evidence and understand more about the events surrounding Olivia's death, for us, the end of the inquest is not the end of the process, as we have been left feeling that important questions remain unanswered.

"We still need to understand more about what happened, why and whether anything could have been done differently. We remain committed to finding out as much as possible and pursuing that through our legal claim.”

Yann Trupiano and Kimberley Newark also thanked their legal team at law firm Slater and Gordon for their continued support.

The representing solicitor for the family, Ayesha Hussain from the firm said that the evidence heard during the four-day inquest had revealed invaluable information that would assist the ongoing legal claim.

Ayesha Hussain said: “While the inquest process has now concluded, no legal process can remove the grief associated with such a profound loss and the family’s determination to seek answers is entirely understandable. Throughout this, Olivia's parents have shown extraordinary courage, remarkable strength, and dignity in the face of a devastating loss of their beloved daughter.

“The family continue to have questions and remain determined to obtain the answers they deserve. Their focus has always been on understanding what happened to their daughter and the circumstances surrounding her death. They are determined to ensure that any learning arising from her death is identified and fully understood. They deserve to have their concerns properly examined and we remain committed to working with them we remain committed to supporting them in their pursuit of answers and accountability.”