Post by Teddy Bear on May 17, 2008 22:27:54 GMT
While I'm not familiar with the details of this particular and sad story, I can easily imagine certain scenarios being true from what is described below based on what I do know about how the BBC ignores all opinions except those they wish to pursue. In this case it led to a woman killing herself. The 53 year old who had worked at the BBC for 30 years and had recently resigned from her position as director of international operations at the BBC World Service Trust and died three days before her contract was due to expire.
So why did she do this and then kill herself?
Her husband explains:
Mr Boto, a consultant gynaecologist at Ipswich Hospital, said his wife had willingly accepted the role at the trust in October 2006, but soon found it was an "impossible" task.
"She felt there was a lack of basic infrastructure and a lack of management support," he said.
"She felt isolated and under-supported. She was crying for help but no one at the BBC would listen. I cannot understand how management at the BBC weren't aware of what was happening."
What he doesn't understand is that BBC management simply doesn't care, not that they weren't aware.
So why did she do this and then kill herself?
Her husband explains:
Mr Boto, a consultant gynaecologist at Ipswich Hospital, said his wife had willingly accepted the role at the trust in October 2006, but soon found it was an "impossible" task.
"She felt there was a lack of basic infrastructure and a lack of management support," he said.
"She felt isolated and under-supported. She was crying for help but no one at the BBC would listen. I cannot understand how management at the BBC weren't aware of what was happening."
What he doesn't understand is that BBC management simply doesn't care, not that they weren't aware.
BBC suicide woman 'demonised by bosses'
By Caroline Gammell
Last Updated: 1:30AM BST 17/05/2008
The family of a senior BBC executive who committed suicide after she was "demonised" by management and branded a failure, have said they would consider taking legal action against the corporation.
Kari Boto, who had worked for the corporation for 30 years, was "crying out for help" before she drowned near her home in Ipswich, Suffolk, on June 27 last year an inquest heard.
The 53-year-old had recently resigned from her position as director of international operations at the BBC World Service Trust and died three days before her contract was due to expire.
On the day of her death, she was seen by a walker clutching her head in her hands as she sat on the sea defences at Felixstowe. The alarm was raised when the walker noticed she was missing and her clothes were neatly folded in a pile, with her keys on top.
Several letters addressed to her family were in her car parked nearby. Her body was found off the coast of Felixstowe by the coastguard.
After the Greater Suffolk coroner Peter Dean recorded a suicide verdict, Mrs Boto's husband Tom said the family would consider the possibility of taking legal action against the BBC.
"The question will always remain – even if the BBC did everything correct in terms of procedure, is there something more that they could have done?" he said.
"I certainly think the entire foundation of her problem was what happened at the trust.She ended up sacrificing herself."
Mr Boto, a consultant gynaecologist at Ipswich Hospital, said his wife had willingly accepted the role at the trust in October 2006, but soon found it was an "impossible" task.
"She felt there was a lack of basic infrastructure and a lack of management support," he said.
"She felt isolated and under-supported. She was crying for help but no one at the BBC would listen. I cannot understand how management at the BBC weren't aware of what was happening."
Kevin Burden, the head of training at the trust, told the inquest that he witnessed Mrs Boto being "marginalised and demonised by the management". "The director of the world service said to me she was a failure and there was no place for failures at the BBC," said Mr Burden.
Eventually Mrs Boto told a senior manager in March last year that she intended to resign, a decision she later attempted to reverse. But she was told by the BBC that she should stick to her original plan.
Shortly afterwards she received a letter saying her career at the corporation would end on June 30.
The refusal to let her continue with her job left her "very distressed and traumatised", the inquest heard.
The coroner said Mrs Boto had given "tremendous service" to the BBC and it was clear her role at the trust affected "her state of mind and psychological condition".
"It is strikingly apparent that she was somebody who, despite her abilities, was clearly very badly affected psychologically," he said.
Rachel Currie, of the BBC's human resources journalism group, said management was not aware of the extent of Mrs Boto's anguish: "There was no outward sign of distress."
She said attempts to refer Mrs Boto to an occupational health worker were not acted upon properly: "One of the lessons we've learned is we need to be better at following our occupational health referrals."
A BBC spokesman said Mrs Boto's death had "saddened and deeply upset all staff past and present who have worked with her over nearly 30 years at the BBC.
"Her family remains very much in our thoughts".
By Caroline Gammell
Last Updated: 1:30AM BST 17/05/2008
The family of a senior BBC executive who committed suicide after she was "demonised" by management and branded a failure, have said they would consider taking legal action against the corporation.
Kari Boto, who had worked for the corporation for 30 years, was "crying out for help" before she drowned near her home in Ipswich, Suffolk, on June 27 last year an inquest heard.
The 53-year-old had recently resigned from her position as director of international operations at the BBC World Service Trust and died three days before her contract was due to expire.
On the day of her death, she was seen by a walker clutching her head in her hands as she sat on the sea defences at Felixstowe. The alarm was raised when the walker noticed she was missing and her clothes were neatly folded in a pile, with her keys on top.
Several letters addressed to her family were in her car parked nearby. Her body was found off the coast of Felixstowe by the coastguard.
After the Greater Suffolk coroner Peter Dean recorded a suicide verdict, Mrs Boto's husband Tom said the family would consider the possibility of taking legal action against the BBC.
"The question will always remain – even if the BBC did everything correct in terms of procedure, is there something more that they could have done?" he said.
"I certainly think the entire foundation of her problem was what happened at the trust.She ended up sacrificing herself."
Mr Boto, a consultant gynaecologist at Ipswich Hospital, said his wife had willingly accepted the role at the trust in October 2006, but soon found it was an "impossible" task.
"She felt there was a lack of basic infrastructure and a lack of management support," he said.
"She felt isolated and under-supported. She was crying for help but no one at the BBC would listen. I cannot understand how management at the BBC weren't aware of what was happening."
Kevin Burden, the head of training at the trust, told the inquest that he witnessed Mrs Boto being "marginalised and demonised by the management". "The director of the world service said to me she was a failure and there was no place for failures at the BBC," said Mr Burden.
Eventually Mrs Boto told a senior manager in March last year that she intended to resign, a decision she later attempted to reverse. But she was told by the BBC that she should stick to her original plan.
Shortly afterwards she received a letter saying her career at the corporation would end on June 30.
The refusal to let her continue with her job left her "very distressed and traumatised", the inquest heard.
The coroner said Mrs Boto had given "tremendous service" to the BBC and it was clear her role at the trust affected "her state of mind and psychological condition".
"It is strikingly apparent that she was somebody who, despite her abilities, was clearly very badly affected psychologically," he said.
Rachel Currie, of the BBC's human resources journalism group, said management was not aware of the extent of Mrs Boto's anguish: "There was no outward sign of distress."
She said attempts to refer Mrs Boto to an occupational health worker were not acted upon properly: "One of the lessons we've learned is we need to be better at following our occupational health referrals."
A BBC spokesman said Mrs Boto's death had "saddened and deeply upset all staff past and present who have worked with her over nearly 30 years at the BBC.
"Her family remains very much in our thoughts".