Booth

Simon Andriesz @SAndriesz has died. He took his own life this week, while staying at a trauma treatment centre, the same place he had gone to try to survive what years of fighting had done to him. I wrote the piece below about him at the start of August. We last spoke on 13 August. Reading my own words back now feels different. Heavier. I did not know then that this would be the last chapter. Simon gave me his story directly. The embezzlement he uncovered, the fraud he reported, the heart attacks, the police complaints, the years @TheFCA spent doing almost nothing while his life fell apart around him. He handed the CFTC and HMRC enough to secure real fines. He handed the BBC enough for a full documentary. And still the one regulator that was supposed to protect him let him carry all of it alone for 7 years. He was one of the most credible people I have ever spoken to. Everything he told me checked out. And he still ended up broken by the very system meant to catch people like him when they fell. I am angry writing this. Angry that a man this capable, this thorough, this willing to hand over evidence and testimony for years, was left to fight completely alone until he could not fight anymore. Simon Andriesz deserved better. Rest in peace. If you are struggling right now, please do not go through it alone. Samaritans are free, 24 hours, on 116 123. @TransparencyTF @stevemiddi1 @MLorrM @JohnCleese @premnsikka @johnmcdonnellMP @Victoria_Rixon @DennyTWright