William Chapman, the 23-year-old former child actor killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, died from multiple traumatic injuries, an inquest opening has heard.
Inquest Opening at Doncaster Coroners' Court
The inquest into Mr Chapman's death opened at Doncaster Coroners' Court on Thursday. A post-mortem examination was carried out by Dr Karzai, who gave a provisional cause of death as 1A multiple traumatic injuries and 1B animal interaction. A fuller report will be provided.
Mr Chapman was killed after entering the tiger enclosure at the park on October 10. Emergency services were contacted shortly after 1.30pm, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said he was visiting the park alone.
Family Statement on Mental Health and Media Distress
Mr Chapman's family said he had suffered from "significant mental illness over a number of years" and was "prescribed strong medication." In a statement released on Tuesday evening, they said: "It will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death. We would ask everybody to respect that process."
The family also said "deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress" after US President Donald Trump reposted a widely shared video of the incident. They said: "The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened. The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time. We ask people to stop doing this."
They added: "The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did. William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back."
Background and Tributes
As a child, Mr Chapman appeared in ITV's May Contain Nuts, alongside Harry Potter actress Shirley Henderson, and in the BBC's True Stories series, according to IMDB. He previously attended Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
In a tribute shared on Facebook, the school said it was "deeply saddened" to hear of the loss of its former student, adding "we loved watching William grow, both as a person and as a performer."
City of Doncaster Council, which is responsible for licensing the park, said on Monday it had started a health and safety investigation. Dan Swaine, executive director of place at the council, said: "As the relevant licensing authority for the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, I can confirm that, in line with our statutory duties, the council has launched a health and safety investigation."
In a previous statement on social media, the wildlife park said "many, many people" had contacted them about Altai, the Amur tiger involved in the incident, and it confirmed he is "safe and well" and will not be euthanised.
