A British student who died in Germany after attending a conference organised by a far-right group did not commit suicide, a British coroner has ruled.



Overturning an earlier ruling by German authorities, Andrew Walker said on Thursday that the LaRouche group, which organised the conference, “may have had a bearing” on the death of Jeremiah Duggan, who died after being hit by two cars.

“The fact that he attended a conference run by this far-rightwing organisation … together with Mr Duggan expressing that he was a Jew, British and questioning the material put before him, may have had a bearing on Mr Duggan’s death in the sense that it may have put him at risk from members of the organisation and caused him to become distressed and seek to leave,” Walker said.

Duggan, 22, was found on a motorway near the German city of Wiesbaden on 27 March 2003 after he attended a youth event organised by the LaRouche movement. German police initially said his death was “a suicide by means of a traffic accident”. However, the student’s family, from north London, have never accepted that.

Duggan’s mother, Erica, shouted “Justice, we want justice” as the verdict was read out at north London coroner’s court.

Speaking outside, she welcomed the verdict but said she was disappointed the coroner had rejected expert evidence suggesting Duggan had been killed before his body was moved to the motorway as part of an elaborate setup.

“I was emotionally shocked and disappointed at the fact he did not take enough notice of the very powerful evidence he had from experts,” she said. “I am going to fight on but I am not sure I will do it through the justice system.”

A statement read on behalf of the family added: “We wish to express our gratitude … that the fact that he revealed that he was Jewish, British, and questioned the anti-British and antisemitic ideology may have been a factor in his death and put him at risk from those in the organisation; and that he became distressed and sought to leave the conference.”

They said the ruling should serve as a warning to young people tempted to join similar cults. “We hope Jeremiah’s legacy will be that the strong message that such extremist organisations exist, which target university students for recruitment, has been heard, so that the dangers they pose can be avoided.”

Walker rejected claims that Duggan had been killed before his body was moved to the motorway but said there were unexplained injuries on his body suggesting he “may have been involved in an altercation at some stage before his death”.

Earlier, the court heard from two experts on far-right groups who said Duggan might have been put under severe psychological pressure by the group in the hours and days before his death.

The former French MP and cult expert Catherine Picard said: “Jeremiah might have been under the influence or control of the organisation LaRouche, which exploited his vulnerablity due to geographical isolation in Germany, without members of his family or girlfriend, and played on a potential loss of bearings.

“It should be noted that members of this organisation undergo significant pressure and part of the psychological pressure is being subjected to repeated conspiracy theories and antisemitic discourse.”

Prof Matthew Feldman, of Teesside University, said that once the group found out Duggan was Jewish, British and had been to the Tavistock Centre in north London – which LaRouche followers believe is a “clearing house for the Zionist British control of the world” – he would have been viewed as “enemy number one”.

“Alarm bells would have been ringing and it would have been taken very seriously by the movement.”