Met reopens investigation into fatal Wimbledon school crash
Two eight-year-old girls were killed in July 2023.
Last updated 24th Oct 2024
An investigation has been reopened into a car crash at a school which killed two eight-year-old girls, the Metropolitan Police has announced.
An internal review was launched after "concerns" were raised by the families of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, who died after the incident at the Study Prep school in Wimbledon, south-west London, on July 6 2023.
The families had said they remained "unconvinced" that the investigation was conducted thoroughly after it was announced in June that the driver of the 4x4 had suffered an epileptic seizure behind the wheel and would not face criminal charges.
The girls' families have welcomed the announcement of a new investigation, with Selena's mother saying she hopes it will bring an end to "this ongoing nightmare".
'A number' of lines of inquiry to be examined
In a statement on Thursday, the Met said: "The review has identified a number of lines of inquiry that require further examination and, as such, the investigation will now be reopened.
"The families have been updated with this development and we will continue to meet with them to provide updates on the investigation as it progresses.
"We know this has been and remains a really difficult time for them.
"We believe this further investigative work will address all questions raised by the families affected.
"This further investigation will be undertaken by an accredited senior investigating officer and team with experience in homicide investigations."
'Strange kind of limbo'
Jessie Deng, Selena's mother, said her family have been in a "strange kind of limbo", The Daily Mail reported.
She said: "All we have ever wanted is a thorough and open investigation for Selena, Nuria and the other families whose lives were turned upside down one summer afternoon, whatever the outcome might be.
"Before the 6th of July 2023, I had always believed the police would be there, for anyone, at their time of need. Instead, since that day, we have been left in a strange kind of limbo not knowing why this tragedy occurred.
"This new investigation is welcome and I sincerely hope that this ongoing nightmare for all of the families and Selena's schoolmates can come to an end soon."
Nuria's father, Saj Butt, said he hoped the new investigation would begin a "healing process", according to The Daily Mail.
He said: "No parent should ever have to go through the pain my wife, Smera, and I have experienced over the past 15 months.
"The initial investigation seemed flawed and left so many unanswered questions.
"Now, as we put our lives on hold again, we can only welcome the news that a new investigation has been launched with a new, specialist and more experienced team.
"While we know nothing will bring Nuria back, we hope this new investigation will finally uncover what really happened on 6 July 2023, and at last allow us, and the hundreds of others affected by what happened, to begin some sort of healing process."
'Unconvinced'
In a joint statement issued after it was announced that the driver, Claire Freemantle, would not face criminal charges, the girls' families said Nuria and Selena "deserved better".
They added at the time: "We remain unconvinced that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have reached a decision based on all the facts. Justice has neither been done, nor has been seen to be done today."
Ms Freemantle expressed her "deepest sorrow" in a statement to the PA news agency and said she had "no recollection of what took place" after losing consciousness.
What happened in the crash?
The school had been celebrating the last day of the summer term when the tragedy unfolded in July 2023.
Several other people were injured when the 4x4 crashed through a fence and hit a building.