Muslim woman committed suicide after "lifestyle attacked on Facebook"
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Rema Begum, 29, had been targeted by an anonymous stalker who sent both her and her family hate mail, exposing her relationships with non-Muslim men to her strictly religious parents.
She felt racked with guilt and believed she was leading an impure lifestyle, a close friend disclosed. She had also lost her job as a manager at the British Library and her health had gradually begun to deteriorate to the point at which she struggled to leave the house.
On September 4, Miss Begum had a glass of wine on the terrace of Sir Terence Conran's exclusive Coq D'Argent restaurant near the Bank of England before “calmly†jumping 80ft to her death.
Police found antidepressants and a note containing contact details for her next of kin in the handbag she left on the ledge.
Avril Atkins, who had known her since university, told the inquest that she had been having “some problems†with Facebook.
“Somebody – she didn't know who – had been sending letters to her parents about her lifestyle and relationships,†she said.
“She was getting quite a lot of hate mail – both she and her parents.â€
Miss Atkins said that although her friend had followed some Muslim practices and had religious beliefs, she lived a “western lifestyle†and had non-Muslim boyfriends.
“I don't think it was something she openly told (her parents) about, however I believe they found out she had been seeing someone who wasn't Muslim,†she said.
“She did say to me that she hadn't been living a good Muslim life. She said she wanted to live a more Muslim-based life.â€
Miss Begum reported the online abuse to the police before deleting her Facebook account and replacing it with one using a different name, the inquest heard.
After losing her job, she left her rented flat in Islington to move back in with her parents in Manor Park, East London.
But the once “happy and bubbly†young woman became increasingly depressed and had sought medical help.
The day before her death she had tried to hang herself at the family home but was taken to hospital by her parents. She was discharged after refusing treatment and promising never to try harming herself again.
Dr Sara Dimic, a psychiatrist who had seen her two months earlier, confirmed she had been suffering with depression but was "guarded" and feared about the confidentiality of the appointment.
She told City of London Coroner's Court: "She revealed to me that she had been feeling guilty for not leading her life according to her family's values and her religion.
"She thought that she had led a life that she was being punished for.
"Her depression was the response to her being pushed from her current job and her moral dilemma in terms of the way she lived her life."
Coroner Paul Matthews heard that a series of suicide notes were found at her home, some dating back four months.
He said there was “no doubt†that she was suffering from depression.
“It appeared to be reactive to the stresses she was subject to in her life,†he said, recording a verdict of suicide.
Three people have died jumping from the Coq D'Argent terrace.
Stockbroker Anjool Malde, 24, jumped clutching a glass of champagne in 2009 after being suspended from his job at Deutsche Bank and Richard Ford, 33, also a City worker, threw himself off the building in May 2007.
Council inspectors ruled that the barriers at the rooftop bar complied with health and safety laws.