An inquest has ruled that five-year-old Aalim Ahmed died after an intentional jump from the kitchen window of his family's 15th-floor flat in east London. His mother, Sahra Osman, who had repeatedly raised concerns about the window's safety, broke down in court and later shouted "You killed my son!" at council legal representatives.
Aalim, who was autistic, fell from the tilt and turn window of the family's temporary social housing flat in Plaistow shortly before 6am on May 16 2024. CCTV audio from outside Jacobs House captured a child's voice counting down '3, 2, 1' followed by 'a loud clang' seconds later, according to a statement read on behalf of Detective Constable Joe Linton.
Inquest findings and family's grief
Assistant Coroner Ian Wade ruled he was satisfied that Aalim had opened the window and that the recording showed him being counted down to jump. Ms Osman held her hands over her ears as the coroner stated: "In his naive and autistic fearless brain he had no concept of danger and this marvellous belief he could fly."
The inquest found that a window restrictor had been in place and working when checked the preceding January, but had disappeared, potentially removed by force - something Ms Osman has firmly denied. The coroner ruled the window had been inappropriately used and the restrictor was no longer able to achieve its function, conceding that Aalim's death "should not have happened".
During the reading of the family's statement, the parents sobbed openly. "He was so adored and his greeting brought a smile to everyone," it read. "The way Aalim purely loved has taught us to appreciate life."
Safety concerns raised before tragedy
Ms Osman told the inquest at Walthamstow Coroner's Court that she had raised concerns with Newham Council on numerous occasions that her autistic son, who had 'no sense of danger', could open the windows. She said she felt she had no choice but to accept the 15th-floor flat, fearing homelessness otherwise.
"I did everything I could as a mum to protect my son," she told Sandesh Singh, representing Newham Council. "If you people did your job seriously and done what you should have my son could have been here. It was preventable." Ms Osman stated that all windows were locked before the family went to bed and denied any suggestion she may have forced the window open.
The court heard that Newham Council property manager Nnenna Muoma thought "more restricted features could have been installed" following a visit to the family home the afternoon after the tragedy. Engineer Charlie Mann, sent by the council to inspect the windows, told the court they were functioning when he saw them on December 17, 2023.
Wider pattern of child window falls
An assessment by the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) found that between April 2019 and May 2025, 16 children under 11 died after falling from windows or balconies in rented and temporary housing, with 12 under five years old. The analysis determined that 92 per cent of these fatalities occurred where safety restrictors or locks were missing, broken, or not in use.
The figure includes 22-month-old Exodus Eyob, who fell from his sister's seventh-floor bedroom window in Leeds in July 2022. His mother, Birikti Berihew, had asked Leeds City Council "many times" to fit a secondary cable. In December 2023, the coroner ruled Exodus's death accidental and declined to issue a prevention of future deaths report.
Deborah Garvie, Policy Manager at Shelter, told The Mirror that such concerns are seen frequently: "We often support people who have been made offers of accommodation, and they've got concerns about the condition, including health and safety hazards." She noted that changes are coming through new Decent Homes Standards requiring window restrictors, and the second phase of Awaab's Law, launching this autumn, which will cover falls between levels and set timescales for landlords to respond to safety concerns.
The Mirror has approached Newham Council and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Press Office for comment.
