Parents of girls killed in school yard tragedy hit out at ‘failure to prosecute’

The families of the two little girls tragically killed in their school playground when a 4×4 ploughed through the school’s fences have lamented the decision not to prosecute the driver.

They say Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, both aged eight, ‘deserved better’ and criticised the conclusions of the Met’s investigation into the fatal crash on July 6 last year at The Study Prep School in Wimbledon.

The driver of the 35-tonne Land Rover which killed the girls, Claire Freemantle, had an epileptic seizure and passed out at the wheel of her car and said she had no recollection of the fateful episode.

Nuria’s parents, Sajjad Butt and Smera Chohan and Selena’s parents Frankie Lau and Jessie Deng, said in a statement: “There are questions that remained unanswered. As long as those doubts remain, we remain unconvinced a fair and thorough investigation was conducted.

“We continue to live with horrific memories, some of us will never physically recover from our injuries and the pain of our loss will never subside.

“Yet it is suggested we must continue to live with the claim that the person solely responsible for the deaths of two and the maiming of others bears no consequence for the actions that they are solely responsible for, without providing us with sufficient evidence that no criminal act was conducted.

“Justice has neither been done, nor has it been seen to be done today. Nuria and Selena deserved better.”

Selena’s family described their daughter as as “an intelligent and cheeky girl adored and loved by everybody”.

Nuria’s parents said their daughter was “the light of our lives, who embodied joy, kindness and generosity and she was loved by all around her.”

Ms Freemantle said: “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.”

Pictured top: Scene outside the school on the day of the tragedy (Picture: James Twomey)