The principal of one of England’s most prestigious private schools, Epsom College, has been found dead with her husband and 7-year-old daughter, we learned on Monday.
The bodies of Emma Pattison, 45, her husband George, 39, and their daughter were discovered on school grounds early Sunday morning.
The police favor the prosecution of an “individual case without the involvement of third parties”, but did not provide any information on the circumstances of this case.
Emma Pattison became the first woman to head Epsom College in Surrey, south of London, in September.
It’s a popular institution for the English elite, founded in 1853, where students pay up to £42,000 (€47,000) a year. It has more than 850 students, both girls and boys.
Epsom College has won top prize in the 2022 Independent Schools of the Year competition, with judges calling it a “beacon of excellence”.
“I want to assure you that we will conduct a thorough investigation. (…) We hope that we can bring peace in these traumatic circumstances,” said Inspector Kimball Edey.
In a statement, the school said it was cooperating with the police as part of the investigation. “We must now focus on the welfare of students and staff. (…) This is heartbreaking information and we will need time to process these shocking events together.”