Charlie Millers

Charlie Millers, 17, had a smile that "melted away a thousand hearts" and always made time for others. He loved football, Morris dancing and animals.

Manchester-born Charlie was a White transgender boy who was severely bullied at school. He had experienced mental ill health from an early age. He had also been diagnosed with ADHD and doctors believed he had autism.

Charlie was first admitted to Junction 17, an in-patient children’s ward at Prestwich Hospital, in 2020 following severe an episode of mental ill health. He self-harmed several times during his stay there and was under strict observation.  

Charlie died after a self-harm incident following his return to the unit from home leave. It was the fourth time he had self-harmed within two and a half hours.

A 2024 inquest jury concluded that Charlie did not intend to end his own life and identified a number of failings in his care, including Trafford Children’s Services’ failure to engage with mental health services and the lack of sufficient support offered to Charlie’s family.

He was one of three young people to have died at the site in a nine-month period.

His mother Samantha continues to highlight Charlie’s case and the systemic failures that contributed to his death.

Click here to watch Charlie's Pen Portrait. 

A pen portrait is is a way to commemorate someone who has died. It can help humanise the inquest, putting the family and their loved one at the heart of the process.