More than 100 young care leavers in England died in past year, data shows

In England, 106 deaths of care leavers were reported in the year to April 2026, compared with 91 in the prior 12 months. Most deaths involved people aged 16 to 21. Reporting requirements introduced in 2023 mean the true number is believed to be higher. An urgent review launched in April aims to identify where support systems failed. The government said many people who had been in care died young without appropriate support. Reported deaths include transgender people, young women who gave birth and had babies removed, and unaccompanied asylum seekers. Some deaths involved violence and murder. Two-thirds of children and young people in care have been abused or neglected by their primary carer.

"In the year to April 2026 there were 106 reported deaths of care leavers, with 91 deaths reported in the 12 months before. The majority of those who died were aged 16 to 21. Although a requirement to report these deaths was introduced in 2023, ministers believe the true figure is probably higher. Labour launched an urgent review into the deaths in April to try to identify where support systems may have failed."

"Announcing the review, the government said it was a horrifying fact that a disproportionate number of people who had been in care died young, often not having had appropriate support. In 2025, 81,770 children in England were under the care of local authorities. The latest deaths of young care leavers, released on Thursday, include transgender people, young women who gave birth and had their babies removed from them by social services, and young unaccompanied asylum seekers."

"Many deaths were not a result of natural causes. They include Samare Gerezgihir, 23, from Eritrea and Issa Ali Musa Abdulrahman Barakat, 18, from Chad, who were stabbed to death in 2024, and Ahmad Mamdouh Al Ibrahim, 16, an unaccompanied child asylum seeker in care, who was murdered in 2025. Two-thirds of children and young people in the care system have been abused or neglected by their primary carer."

"Until December 2023 local authorities were not required to report deaths of care leavers. They must now report them through the serious incident notification system. Benny Hunter, the co-founder and research lead at Da'aro Youth Project, which works with young unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees mainly from eastern Africa and has documented some of their untimely deaths, said the figures were unspeakably tragic."

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