Chenyang Li · Prevention of Future Deaths report

An investigation was commenced into the death of Chenyang Li, aged 23 years, on 16 October 2023. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 5 April 2024. I made a determination at inquest of suicide.

At the time of his death, Chenyang was a third year undergraduate student on a BSc Statistics, Economics and Finance degree programme at UCL. On 30 September 2023 Chenyang returned to Scape Bloomsbury at approximately 8.30am. He made his way to the 6th floor and let himself in to a friend’s apartment.

Having entered the apartment, Yang went immediately to the window and climbed out of it, falling onto the concrete below. He died shortly afterwards from multiple severe injuries.

A police investigation described the window as follows: The window …is situated within the kitchen/lounge space. Window is metal framed, right side hung. The window has a windowsill in front of the interior side which is 74cm from the interior floor, sill width is 38cm from front of sill to window. Beneath the window is a small fixed panel window. Window is 125cm from the interior floor, 44cm in width, 76cm in height. At the time of attendance, the window was open to its widest aperture which is 55cm.

The National Code of Standards for Larger Developments for student accommodation not managed and controlled by educational establishments, under which Scope Bloomsbury is accredited, states at paragraph 6.30: All windows above ground-floor level will be fitted with stops to prevent over-opening.

Students falling or jumping from windows is a known risk. Chenyang was able to easily jump to death from a 6th story window. Scope Bloomsbury is one of a number of is part of Scape Living Student Accommodation, a provider of purpose designed, student accommodation. The window Chenyang jumped from does not appear to have been fitted with any, or sufficient, form of window restrictors at all or as required under the National Code of Standards accreditation.