Oxford University has been hit by a second sudden student death – just days after news of a tormented student killing himself made headlines.
Neuroscience PHD student Cal Shearer, 25, who is said to have ‘radiated warmth to all those around them’, was found hanged in digs at St John’s College in the city on October 30.
Caring Cal, who was autistic and transgender, volunteered talking to callers to The Samaritans helpline, but privately battled with their own mental health struggles.
And Cal took their own life after battling to find the right treatment in what their family described as the ‘all too prevalent but not yet understood crisis of suicides amongst autistic people identifying as trans’.
Cal’s final note, left to family and friends, read: ‘I love you and I know how loved I am. I am lucky to have so much love surrounding me.’
Cal’s parents, former Fast Show actor Paul Shearer and former former children’s TV presenter turned actress and film producer Vicky Licorish are understood to have been left devastated – as is longtime family friend, acclaimed author Jeanette Winterson.
The tragedy comes a week after an inquest held for fellow Oxford student Alexander Rogers found the 20-year-old killed himself in January after being ostracised by his social circle at Corpus Christi College in an episode described as ‘cancel culture’.
An inquest opening into Cal’s death on Monday at Oxford’s Coroner’s Court heard that the ‘caring’ volunteer was Leckford Road in Jericho on October 30.
Following a post-mortem, a cause of death was given as hanging. A full inquest will be held on March 10 next year.
Cal’s mother, Vicky Licorish, paid an emotional tribute to ‘our beautiful Cal’ as she shared on social media a series of happy family photographs featuring her youngest child.
The film producer wrote: ‘Our brave, beautiful, blazingly clever, wickedly funny and endlessly compassionate Cal sadly lost their battle with mental health this week. There are no words.’
Vicky, whose parents are from St Lucia, appeared alongside DJ Mike Read and Keith Chegwin as a presenter of Saturday SuperStore in the 1980s.
She went on to become a film and TV producer. Her works include the 2009 award-winning BBC costume drama Small Island.
A memorial page set up for the student has already raised thousands of pounds for The Samaritans and Gender Intelligence, a trans-led charity working to improve gender diversity and the lives of trans people.
‘Cal’s passing is a tragic loss to everyone who knew them,’ a family tribute on the page read. ‘They had so much to offer, but the pain of their inner turmoil proved too great for them to bear.’
Cal, who was raised in Bethnal Green, London, met their NHS worker wife Imogen when they were seven-years-old classmates attending the private City of London School for Girls in 2006.
The pair began dating in 2013 before tying the knot on July 1 last year at a ceremony at St John’s College, where Cal completed their undergraduate degree in Pyschology and Linguistics.
The memorial page added: ‘Many walked beside Cal during the years they privately struggled with their mental health. Imogen, Cal’s long term friend, then partner and, last year, wife never left their side.
‘Now working for the NHS, Imogen tried to secure Cal the right treatment for this all too prevalent but not yet understood crisis of suicides amongst autistic people identifying as trans.’
Tributes have flooded the page from fellow students and volunteers who worked with Cal at the Samaritans charity, as well as Oxford University’s Nightline service.
One read: ‘Cal, I am so grateful to have had the chance to know you. You worked so hard to uplift others despite your own struggles’.
Alexander Rogers, known as Xander, found himself frozen out by his social circle after he had sex with a female friend who told other male students she had felt ‘discomfort’ about the encounter, a coroner heard.
Despite having no intentions of reporting the incident, two male friends confronted the third year student, telling Alexander he had ‘messed up’ and they ‘needed space from him’.
The next day, the undergraduate jumped into the River Thames from Donnington Bridge and died from serious head injuries.
An inquiry into his death found that Alexander, who was described as the ‘epitome of what is good in this world’, found students at the college were quick to ‘rush to judgement’ and would ‘pile on’ to cancel a student without knowing all the facts.
The Department of Education has since been urged by coroner Nicholas Graham to review the ‘cancel culture’ phenomenon sweeping across university campuses in the UK.
For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support