The Metropolitan Police has reopened its investigation into the Wimbledon school crash that killed two eight-year-old girls as they celebrated the last day of the summer term.
Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, both 8, died and several more were injured after the 4x4 ploughed through a fence and hit a building at the Study Prep school in Wimbledon, south-west London, on 6 July last year.
Following the initial police investigation, it was announced that the driver, Claire Freemantle, had suffered an epileptic seizure behind the wheel and would not face criminal charges.
However, the families of the children who died were critical of the investigation and said they remained “unconvinced” it was conducted thoroughly.
In summer, the Met said it had launched an internal review after the families raised their concerns.
As a result of the review, the force has now said it will reopen its investigation to further examine “a number of lines of enquiry” and provide answers to the families’ questions.
The girls’ families have welcomed the announcement, with Selena’s mother saying she hopes it will bring an end to “this ongoing nightmare”.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Met said: “The review has identified a number of lines of enquiry that require further examination and, as such, the investigation will now be re-opened.
“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.”
Ms Freemantle previously expressed her “deepest sorrow” over the tragedy and said she had “no recollection of what took place” after losing consciousness.
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 6 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.”
The force previously said officers worked “tirelessly through every detail of the incident” to ensure a complete investigation.
The former headteacher of the school, who held the role at the time of the crash, previously said she felt “let down” by the police investigation.
Helen Lowe told the BBC: “I think the words ‘thorough’ and ‘tireless’ suggest that you would have a body of evidence that you would be able to share… but in some areas there was just a complete lack of knowledge, of basic information.
“Maybe when they go away and look at the evidence, they will remember the answers. But there were a number of occasions where they weren’t sure if something had been done, or they couldn’t remember.
“At this moment in time, it would appear that I have been let down by them.”
In a joint statement issued after it was announced that no further action would be taken against the driver, the girls’ families said: “We remain unconvinced that the investigation has been conducted thoroughly.
“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.”
They added that Nuria and Selena “deserved better”.
