My friend and colleague Richard Bennett was a passionate general practitioner concerned with the welfare of the most vulnerable and marginalised people in society, in particular victims of torture. He has taken his own life at the age of 56, having suffered for some time from severe depression.
In 2007, after retiring from general practice, he became a volunteer doctor in London with Freedom from Torture (FFT), which cares for victims and campaigns on their behalf. Initially he assessed the health needs of survivors, including those in detention, then moved on to documenting physical and psychological evidence of torture for medico-legal reports that supported claims for asylum. His reports were also used by the charity to campaign for the perpetrators to be brought to justice, most recently in Sri Lanka and Iran. Richard was highly valued and respected at FFT and is remembered as a guiding force who was also approachable and supportive.