The families of two young girls killed when a car crashed into their school party have expressed their ‘disappointment’ after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) revealed that the motorist responsible had suffered an epileptic seizure and will not face criminal charges.
Claire Freemantle, 47, experienced a seizure while driving her Land Rover, which resulted in the vehicle ploughing through a fence and into an end-of-term celebration at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon, south-west London, on July 6 last year. The horrific crash claimed the lives of eight-year-old pupils Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau and left more than a dozen people injured.
Ms. Freemantle, from Wimbledon, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. However, the CPS has announced that she will face no further charges, citing her seizure as the cause of the accident. Ms Freemantle expressed her ‘deepest sorrow’ for the tragedy, stating that she had ‘no recollection’ of the incident due to the seizure.
The revelation has left the grieving families of Nuria and Selena ‘disappointed’ and questioning the thoroughness of the police investigation.
Trevor Sterling, the lawyer representing the families, said: “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.
In a joint statement, the parents of Nuria and Selena—Sajjad Butt, Smera Chohan, Franky Lau, and Jessie Deng—expressed their dissatisfaction: “All the victims of the events of July 6, 2023, did nothing wrong. We were all in the safest place we could have been outside our own homes. We were celebrating a day filled with joy. Nuria and Selena’s lives were taken in a moment. So many lives were also irreparably shattered in that moment. Hundreds of people—parents, teachers, children, neighbours, friends and family members—will never lead ‘normal’ lives again. Some of us will never experience joy again. We have tried to keep faith in the systems and institutions that are supposed to protect victims and deliver justice to those affected. We have been disappointed by this system. It is now clear to us that the depth of the process is questionable too. In the absence of any concrete evidence to the contrary, we can only surmise that the investigation has been equally poor.”
Ms. Freemantle expressed her sorrow and sympathy: “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, acknowledged the tragedy: “We have carefully considered this complex and sensitive case, taking into consideration all the material gathered as part of the lengthy and detailed police investigation. The driver of the vehicle had an epileptic seizure behind the wheel, which caused her to lose control of the vehicle which then drove into the school. There is no evidence the driver had ever suffered a similar seizure before and she had no previously diagnosed medical condition. 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. Throughout this process we have met with the bereaved families on several occasions, to ensure they are kept informed of the case progress and to fully explain the decision we have made. Our thoughts remain with them today, as well as with the other injured victims and the wider school community upon whom this tragic incident has had a profound impact.
Metropolitan Detective Chief Superintendent Clair Kelland emphasized that the driver could not have predicted or prevented the seizure. She said: “I can understand that some may be confused—perhaps even feel let down—by this outcome and want to give every reassurance that our officers worked tirelessly through every detail of the incident to ensure a complete investigation be passed to the CPS. To bring charges in cases like this there needs to be an element of responsibility on the part of the driver, and, given the circumstances, this was simply not borne out on this occasion.”
The tragic incident continues to have a profound impact on the victims’ families and the broader school community. The inquest, expected to provide a deeper review of the evidence, will be the next focus for those seeking justice for Nuria and Selena.
