Grenfell fire victims make painful closing statements and ‘impassioned plea’ for change

A boy who lost his brother in the Grenfell Tower fire wishes he had a “magic pencil” to draw his sibling back to life, an inquiry into the tragedy heard on Monday.

The unnamed child was asked what he would ask for if he were granted three wishes following the tragic fire on June 14, 2017, which killed 72 people. The boy said one of the wishes would be for him to have a magic pencil so that anything he drew with it would come to life.

A closing statement for the bereaved read by solicitor Imran Khan said: “As you know one of our clients lost their brother on that night, and when asked what he would want if granted three wishes he said that one of the wishes would be for him to have a magic pencil so that anything he drew with it would come to life. In his case, he wanted the power to draw his brother back to life.”

The child’s painful loss was described today at the Grenfell Inquiry as lawyers for the bereaved, survivors and Grenfell residents read out their closing statements.

Mr Khan, who represents 25 bereaved relatives and survivors, said the inquiry could be a turning point in how we approach housing in the country.

In a statement, he said: “This is a plea from our clients. A desperate, impassioned plea that this Inquiry produces a set of recommendations and conclusions such that it leads to wholesale change to the housing sector in the UK.

“Our clients believe that the Grenfell Tower Fire will forever be remembered as the worst national disaster in the history of this country.

“Depending on what you and your colleagues now do, this inquiry and its recommendations could either be recorded in that history as a forgotten footnote to the disaster or the one single moment in time which changed everything. The choice is yours.”

The solicitor called for the inquiry to ensure no other lives were lost in a similar way. He cited how a tower block in Milan had gone up in flames on August 29, 2021 because it had the same cladding that was on Grenfell Tower.

Bereaved residents and survivors also urged the inquiry to consider whether the race and social background of Grenfell Tower residents played any part in the disaster.

Mr Khan added: “It would seem a tower block filled mainly with so-called immigrant residents was viewed by the council as ‘worthless’. Social inequality in wider society is, unfortunately, inextricably linked to social inequality in the housing sector. If you are poor and marginalised, you will be neglected.

“If you are poor and marginalised, you will be treated differently. If you are poor and marginalised, you will receive less care, less attention and less security. If you are poor and marginalised, you are more likely to die.”

At least 85 per cent of the victims of the fire were from minority ethnic backgrounds. The solicitor added: “The sad truth is that racism contributed to the loss of 72 lives. Our clients urge you to make this finding. Nothing less than this will do.”

The closing statements also highlighted how disabled residents were put on the upper floors of the 24-storey tower and called for the day of the fire, June 14, to become a National Day of Remembrance.

The Grenfell Inquiry continues.