Cult student 'in state of terror before road death'

Independent.co.uk/November 7, 2003
By Tim Moynihan

The mother of a British student who died in Germany after allegedly becoming involved with a "dangerous" right-wing political cult vowed yesterday to continue her fight to find out what happened to him.

Erica Duggan promised to continue her campaign after a coroner noted that her son Jeremiah, 22, had been in "a state of terror" before his death.

Mr Duggan, of Golders Green, north London, died in March after running into the path of two vehicles near Wiesbaden.

Dr William Dolman, the Hornsey coroner, said he was unable from the outset to accept the German investigator's conclusion that Mr Duggan intended to take his life.

The coroner was told that Mr Duggan had telephoned his mother shortly before his death, saying he was frightened and in big trouble.

The inquest heard that Mr Duggan, who was Jewish, had travelled from Paris where he was studying to attend a meeting of the Schiller Institute, described in court by his family as a "dangerous and political cult with strong anti-Semitic tendencies."

Mrs Duggan told Dr Dolman that her research showed the Schiller Institute was linked to Lyndon LaRouche, who had been an American presidential candidate.

Dr Dolman said there were a lot of unanswered questions but the Wiesbaden public prosecutor had closed the file on the case.

He recorded a narrative verdict in which he said Mr Duggan received fatal head injuries when he ran into a road in Wiesbaden and was hit by two private cars.

He added: "He had earlier been in a state of terror."