London: Eleven officers from the Metropolitan Police are under scrutiny by the police watchdog for their management of a car accident that resulted in the deaths of two eight-year-old girls, one of Indian descent and one of Chinese descent, and whether racial factors affected their actions.
The victims, Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, lost their lives when Claire Freemantle drove a Land Rover into a school event on the grounds of a private institution in Wimbledon in July 2023. Over a dozen individuals sustained injuries. Freemantle was detained but not prosecuted, as prosecutors determined she experienced an unforeseen epileptic episode.
The families argue that the original inquiry was inadequate. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is examining claims regarding the investigation’s quality, including its oversight, the team’s behavior, and interactions with those impacted. Allegations also include providing inaccurate details to victims and potential racial influence on treatment, according to IOPC director Amanda Rowe.
Among those investigated are four active officers—a commander, a detective chief inspector, a detective sergeant, and a detective constable—plus a retired detective inspector, all facing gross misconduct probes. Two additional detective constables are under review for misconduct.
Certain witnesses, such as the school principal who assisted one injured child, were not questioned initially.
Smera Chohan, Nuria’s mother who was also hurt in the crash, expressed to the BBC her desire for clarity on the lack of a proper inquiry. She described feeling treated harshly, unjustly, and without compassion, likening the process to pleading for justice.
Last month, Nuria’s parents marked what would have been her 11th birthday at her burial site. Her father, Sajjad Butt, shared his anguish over not understanding the circumstances of her death and feeling unable to fulfill his parental duty to safeguard her. He noted that prosecutors have not provided full explanations.
A representative from the Crown Prosecution Service stated that police resubmitted evidence in March after a follow-up review. The service indicated that additional elements need evaluation before deciding on charges.
