logo
Mum's heartbreaking call for answers 2 years after girls, 8, were killed when Land Rover ploughed into Wimbledon school

Mum's heartbreaking call for answers 2 years after girls, 8, were killed when Land Rover ploughed into Wimbledon school

Scottish Sun5 hours ago
THE PARENTS of two eight-year-old girls who were killed when a Land Rover crashed into their school have vowed to "uncover the truth" of what happened that day two years on from the tragic incident.
Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau both died after the tragedy at The Study Prep School, in Wimbledon, South West London on July 6, 2023.
4
Selena Lau, eight, was killed in the horror on July 6, 2023
Credit: PA
4
Nuria Sajjad, eight, also lost her life in the tragedy at The Study Prep School in Wimbledon
Credit: PA
The horror unfolded as a Land Rover Defender smashed through a fence while school children and staff were having a tea-party outside on the last day of term.
More than fifteen others were injured in the crash, including a seven-month-old baby girl.
Speaking at a remembrance event on Sunday, Nuria's mother Smera Chohan said: "We have had to fight very hard - harder than any victim should ever have had to - but we remain committed to uncovering the truth about what happened."
In January, the Metropolitan Police rearrested arrested driver Claire Freemantle 48, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
She remains in custody while investigations continue.
The 48-year-old was originally released after an initial investigation by the Roads and Transport Policing Command, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), concluded she should face no further action.
Freemantle claimed she had an epileptic seizure behind the wheel and faced no charges.
They added that there was no evidence Ms Freemantle had ever suffered a similar seizure before and she had no previously diagnosed medical condition.
A review was carried out by the Specialist Crime Review Group (SCRG).
It highlighted issues with how officers carried out the initial investigation.
Family, friends & Liverpool teammates gather for Diogo Jota & brother Andre's funeral in Portugal after tragic car crash
It was revealed there was a key problem with establishing the evidence of an epileptic seizure, and diagnosis without brain scans.
"Our main priority is to ensure the lines of inquiry identified by the review are progressed. I would urge people to avoid speculation," Det Supt Lewis Basford said.
At the memorial on Sunday, hundreds of people from the local area joined Nuria's mother Smera Chohan, her father Sajjad Butt and Selena's parents Franky Lau and Jessie Deng.
Two benches dedicated to the victims' memories were decorated with flowers and messages and a two minutes' silence was observed.
Following a two minutes' silence - one minute for each girl - Ms Chohan delivered an emotional speech.
"We still await answers for what happened on that fateful day... and with all your support, we will continue our fight until we have the answers we deserve," Ms Chohan said.
"Nothing is going to make our lives the same again... we were parents.
"I sometimes don't know if I'm a mother, I need to know why I'm not a mother and Nuria deserved a thorough investigation."
Selena's father added: "We are still waiting, we want a version of events that adds up."
Helen Lowe, who was the school's headteacher at the time of the crash, said: "There are still no answers to what happened on that day, and in that two-year period, there have been a number of events which involved awful tragedy for children.
"But the people who perpetrated those events have had to be answerable, and we don't have that, which makes it - for the parents and for us - impossible to move on."
To provide information you can contact the major incident room on 0207 175 0793, call 101 quoting CAD 6528/27Jan, or message @MetCC on X providing the CAD reference. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.
4
More than fifteen others were injured in the crash, including a seven-month-old baby girl
Credit: UKNIP
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

First responders share horror over July 7 atrocities
First responders share horror over July 7 atrocities

Western Telegraph

timean hour ago

  • Western Telegraph

First responders share horror over July 7 atrocities

Superintendent Anna Bearman was a 23-year-old police constable on the Metropolitan Police response team when the suicide bombing attacks took place on three London Underground trains and bus. At first, she and her three colleagues were told that there was an incident at King's Cross, possibly related to a fire. But Ms Bearman said she remembers the feeling of a 'pinch' in her stomach when she realised the situation was much more sinister. Anna Bearman was a police constable at the time of the July 7 bombings (Family Handout/PA) She said: 'On July 7, it was a nice summer's morning and everyone was elated because we had just won the bid for the London Olympics the day before. 'We were on duty and heard that there was confusion at King's Cross and that perhaps there'd been a fire, so we made our way down to the train station. 'As we were by Euston station, we were asked to divert to Russell Square, and we were told that there were injured people fleeing both stations. 'I remember that being the moment when I thought that it wasn't a fire and it was something more sinister. It was a pinch in the stomach moment.' Ms Bearman described how the four constables in the vehicle fell silent, as it dawned on them that it was a major incident. Upon arrival, they saw dozens of people running out of Russell Square station, with many suffering from injuries. Superintendent Anna Bearman recalled the events of July 7 2005 (Metropolitan Police/PA) She said: 'There were walking wounded and a sense of hysteria and panic, but we couldn't stop and speak to them because we had to get into the tunnel to help those who couldn't walk out. 'We walked about a mile on the tracks and then we carried one person out who had lost a lower limb, as there were no stretchers, and we took them out a mile back to Russell Square.' After carrying a second injured person out and returning to the train for a third time, they were told there were no more people who needed to be rescued, and they turned to finding oxygen tanks for the injured in the makeshift triage area. Ms Bearman recalls: 'After that, the main task was directing and reassuring members of the public, trying to keep them calm in the moment. 'Later on, I saw that my trousers and my legs were absolutely blood-stained, and that was when the shock of the whole day set in. 'The 20-year anniversary is really important to remember the people who have been affected, the lives lost but also their families and loved ones.' Dr Peter Holden, a GP from Derbyshire, was 50 when the bombings took place. He was not supposed to be in London on July 7, but, in his role as deputy chairman of the BMA GP committee, he was called to a meeting with a government minister at BMA House in Tavistock Square. That was where a fourth device exploded on a bus that had been diverted after the attacks on Aldgate, Edgware Road and Russell Square Tube stations. The number 30 double-decker bus was blown up in Tavistock Square on July 7 (PA) Dr Holden, who had received major incident training and helped dozens of people on the day, recalls: 'I realised it was really serious when the Royal London helicopter was hovering overhead for a considerable length of time. 'And then I just turned around to my colleague Mary Church, who's the chair of the committee, we heard a bang and then everything just went salmon pink. 'It was something that shook the ground. We were three floors above where the bomb on the bus went off and we looked out of the window and there was a white plume of smoke and the tree canopy had gone. 'When I got downstairs, there were people being brought in on collapsible table tops used for conferences as makeshift stretchers.' As someone with emergency care training, Dr Holden recalls directing 15 doctors and setting up a makeshift triage area . He remains proud of the effort his team made in the crisis, despite having to make difficult decisions surrounding who to prioritise in the moment. Dr Holden said: 'There was a complete range of people – there were Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, those of no particular faith. 'I think there were eight different nationalities from all over the world – medicine is really an international practice. 'But we had to leave two people who we describe as P1 expectants, those who are deeply unconscious and for whom medical care is extremely unlikely to help, and you just have to leave them with another human being so they are not on their own. 'It was the most difficult decision of my life and it still haunts me, because there's a humanity in delivering care. 'It was a terrible day, but I was thankful that I was there and could help people.'

Parents of girls killed in Land Rover crash ‘still waiting for truth'
Parents of girls killed in Land Rover crash ‘still waiting for truth'

Times

time2 hours ago

  • Times

Parents of girls killed in Land Rover crash ‘still waiting for truth'

The families of two eight-year-old girls who were killed when a Land Rover ploughed into a tea party at their school have said they 'remain committed to uncovering the truth' two years on. Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau died while celebrating the last day of the summer term in the grounds of The Study prep school in Wimbledon, southwest London, after the vehicle smashed through a fence in July 2023. The driver, Claire Freemantle, 48, was arrested after the incident but in June last year the police said she had ­experienced an epileptic seizure at the wheel and would face no criminal ­charges. That decision was criticised by the girls' families, who questioned the thoroughness of the investigation. In October the Metropolitan Police said they would reopen the investigation after identifying 'lines of inquiry which required further examination'. On Sunday, at a remembrance event on Wimbledon Common, near the school, the girls' families expressed dismay at having to wait so long for answers. Nuria's mother, Smera Chohan, said the families 'have had to fight very hard — harder than any victim should ever have had to', the BBC reported. 'But we remain committed to uncovering the truth about what happened. We still await answers for what ­happened on that fateful day … and with all your support, we will continue our fight until we have the answers we deserve.' She added: 'Nothing is going to make our lives the same again … we were parents. I sometimes don't know if I'm a mother, I need to know why I'm not a mother and Nuria deserved a thorough investigation.' Lau's father, Franky Lau, said: 'We are still waiting, we want a version of events that adds up.' Helen Lowe, who was the school's head teacher at the time of the crash, said: 'There are still no answers to what happened on that day, and in that two-year period there have been a number of events which involved awful tragedy for children. 'But the people who perpetrated those events have had to be answerable — and we don't have that, which makes it, for the parents and for us, impossible to move on.' Sharon Maher, the school's head teacher, said the quality of the new police investigation, which was launched in October, had 'a very different feel'. She added: 'They've taken our questions seriously … it's more thorough, it's detailed, that's all we've ever asked for.' Freemantle was rearrested in January on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. She has expressed her 'deepest sorrow for the families who have suffered such dreadful loss and injury'. Last summer prosecutors said Freemantle had not previously had an epileptic seizure and was in good health before the crash. She is understood to have surrendered her driving licence. Freemantle was driving away from Wimbledon Common when the £80,000, 3.5-tonne black-and-gold Land Rover mounted a kerb, crashed through a metal fence and collided with a building at the school. Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford said: 'Our main priority is to ensure the lines of inquiry identified by the review are progressed. I would urge people to avoid speculation.' The Met said: 'Our thoughts are with Nuria and Selena's loved ones at this particularly difficult time. Our investigation continues and we remain in regular contact with the families.'

Parents of two girls killed in Wimbledon school crash ‘still waiting for answers'
Parents of two girls killed in Wimbledon school crash ‘still waiting for answers'

The Independent

time3 hours ago

  • The Independent

Parents of two girls killed in Wimbledon school crash ‘still waiting for answers'

The grieving parents of two girls who were killed in a crash at a school in Wimbledon have said they are ' still waiting for answers ' two years on. Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, both aged eight, died after being hit by a four-by-four that crashed into the Study Prep school in Wimbledon on 6 July 2023. The incident happened while the two girls were celebrating with their classmates and parents at an end-of-term tea party. At a remembrance event on Sunday marking two years since the tragedy, Nuria's mother Smera Chohan said they remain 'committed' to finding answers for their daughters. "We have had to fight very hard - harder than any victim should ever have had to - but we remain committed to uncovering the truth about what happened,' she said, according to the BBC. "We still await answers for what happened on that fateful day... and with all your support, we will continue our fight until we have the answers we deserve." She added: "Nothing is going to make our lives the same again... we were parents. I sometimes don't know if I'm a mother, I need to know why I'm not a mother and Nuria deserved a thorough investigation." Last summer, prosecutors said the driver of the car, Claire Freemantle, had suffered an epileptic seizure behind the wheel and would not face criminal charges. It was found she had never had an epileptic seizure before and was in good health before the crash. In a statement to the PA news agency at the time, she expressed her 'deepest sorrow' and said she had 'no recollection of what took place' after losing consciousness. She was rearrested in January after an internal review was launched last year prompted by 'concerns' raised by the families of the two girls, who said they remained 'unconvinced' that the investigation was conducted thoroughly. But at the event on Sunday, which was attended by hundreds of people from the local community, Mr Lau echoed Ms Chohan plea for answers and told the BBC: "We are still waiting, we want a version of events that adds up." Helen Lowe, who was then the school's headteacher, said: "There are still no answers to what happened on that day, and in that two-year period, there have been a number of events which involved awful tragedy for children. "But the people who perpetrated those events have had to be answerable, and we don't have that, which makes it - for the parents and for us - impossible to move on."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store