The mother of one of the eight-year-old-girls killed in a car crash at a school has told of how she is ‘living in hell’ after police announced they would be reopening an investigation into the tragic incident.
Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau died when Claire Freemantle, 47 ploughed through a fence at the Study Prep school in Wimbledon, south-west London, on July 6 2023.
Their families had said they remained ‘unconvinced’ that the investigation into their deaths was conducted thoroughly after it was announced in June the driver of the 4×4 had suffered an epileptic seizure behind the wheel and would not face criminal charges.
An internal review was launched after the concerns were raised, and the Metropolitan Police said today that the investigation would now be reopened and examine a number of lines of inquiry.
Jessie Deng, Selena’s mother, has welcomed the announcement.
Nuria Sajjad (left) had been enjoying enjoying a tea party with her classmates to mark the last day of term when horrific crash took place. The crash also killed Selena Lau (right)
Franky Lau and Jessie Deng, parents of Selena Lau, speaking to BBC News after police announced they were reopening the investigation into a car crash at a school which killed two eight-year-old girls
Talking to the BBC, she said: ‘I really welcome that the investigation opened and it has been kind of like living in hell for the last 15 months.’
Growing emotional, she said she missed her daughter every day, and added: ‘We sent her to school, but she never come back.
‘It’s just like the day that turned our world upside down.’
Franky Lau, Selena’s father, said: ‘We think it’s the right thing for them (the police) to do.
‘I think all we wanted was a thorough, open, transparent investigation and we were not convinced that the initial investigation was that, and the police themselves seems to have admitted that that is also not the case.’
The mother of Nuria Sajjad also spoke of how the families ‘deserve answers’ in an interview today with LBC.
Smera Chohan, who lost her 8-year-old daughter, Nuria Sajjad in the Wimbledon crash, said the families ‘deserve answers’
Host Shelagh Fogarty listens as Ms Sajjad questions the assumption that officials had been ‘working tirelessly’ on the case
Speaking to host Shelagh Fogarty, she said: ‘We asked very simple questions that should have been answered at the point the decision was delivered to us.
‘The fact that we are here 16 months on still sitting in a waiting room trying to understand what happened on 6th July 2023 is a big question mark in itself.
Ms Sajjad added in relation to the common reference that the Met Police were working ‘tirelessly’: ‘If they worked tirelessly we wouldn’t be having this.’
In a statement on Thursday, the Met said the review had ‘identified a number of lines of inquiry that require further examination’ and so the investigation would ‘now be reopened’.
Selena’s parents Franky and Jessie Lau (pictured) have demanded ‘justice for their daughter’ and told of their ‘disappointment’ at the move not to charge the driver responsible for the crash
Selena Lau playing piano at a school concert shortly before tragedy struck last July
Nuria’s mother Smera was also injured in the horrific crash that took place just after this photo of them was taken
An £80,000 Land Rover crashed through the primary school’s gates during an end of term picnic
A spokesman added: ‘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.’
In June, the driver, Claire Freemantle, expressed her ‘deepest sorrow’ in a statement and said she had ‘no recollection of what took place’ after losing consciousness.
The school had been celebrating the last day of the summer term with a tea party when the tragedy unfolded.
Flowers and toys placed outside The Study Prep school in Wimbledon, south-west London, after the incident
Nuria, who would have turned nine on March 20, is pictured with her loving parents Smera and Sajjad
Several other people were injured when the 4×4 crashed through a fence and hit a building.
Families of the two girls previously told of their ‘disappointment’ in June after the CPS had said the motorist in the car would face no criminal charges.
Trevor Sterling, lawyer for the families, said at the time: ‘This is disappointing; justice must not only be done, but seen to be done.
‘In the absence of a process, how do we interrogate the evidence? What does this message send to the public that deaths can arise in a road traffic situation, and there could be no sanction because there is no process to interrogate the evidence?
‘The next focus will be on the inquest, and there will be a deep and thorough review of the evidence, which will be examined by a jury if necessary.’
The parents of the girls killed in the nightmare smash said they remained ‘unconvinced that the investigation has been conducted thoroughly’, adding ‘Nuria and Selena deserved better’.
The Land Rover crashed through a fence at The Study Prep school in south-west London at around 10am on July 6, 2023
In a statement, the grief-stricken motorist, Ms Freemantle had said: ‘Since I became aware of the terrible event that took place on July 6, the devastating consequences for all those affected have not left my thoughts and will be with me for the rest of my life.
‘I have since been diagnosed as having suffered an epileptic seizure with loss of consciousness. This was not a pre-existing condition. As a result of losing consciousness I have no recollection of what took place.
‘I can only express my deepest sorrow for the families who have suffered such dreadful loss and injury.
‘As a mother, I understand there can be no words that adequately express the pain and loss resulting from what happened in those horrendous moments while I was unconscious.
‘My heartfelt sympathy goes out to all of the children and families affected, and especially to the parents of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau.’
Jaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor with oversight of the Crown Prosecution Service London Homicide Unit said at the time: ‘Because there is nothing to suggest the driver could have done anything to predict or prevent this tragedy, it is not in the public interest to pursue a criminal prosecution.’