A woman has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a 4x4 crashed into a primary school in Wimbledon, south-east London, killing two eight-year-old girls. Claire Freemantle, 49, is accused of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and seven counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving following the incident at The Study Prep school in July 2023.
Background of the Incident
The crash occurred on the last day of the summer term, claiming the lives of schoolgirls Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau. Freemantle, of Edge Hill, Wimbledon, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 16, where her lawyers have indicated she will plead not guilty to all charges.
Investigation and Reversal of Decision
The charges come after the girls' families criticised the Metropolitan Police for its initial investigation. In June 2024, the force stated that the driver had suffered an epileptic seizure and would face no criminal charges. However, Freemantle was rearrested and released under investigation in January last year. Her lawyers have expressed concerns over the reversal of the decision not to charge her, stating there are "serious questions to be answered."
The Metropolitan Police has apologised for its handling of the case and announced a fundamental reset of how it investigates fatal and serious collisions. Commander Charmain Brenyah, who leads the Met's Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: "This will ensure our responses to incidents of this nature are more effective, providing better support and outcomes for victims and their families."
Families' Response
The families of Nuria and Selena told the BBC they were "right to challenge" the initial decision not to charge Freemantle. They stated: "In June 2024, we rejected the Crown Prosecution Service's decision to take no further action because we did not believe that decision had been made on the full facts. We were right to challenge that decision. The Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Review Group's findings, the reopening of the investigation, and the need to obtain extensive new evidence over the last two years, have all vindicated our position."
They added: "From the very beginning, we have demanded one thing: the truth about why our daughters were killed. We have lived every day since then in torment — without peace, without answers, and without accountability. Despite overwhelming grief, we have been forced to fight for the most basic clarity about what happened. With the decision to charge Freemantle, the case will now proceed to trial. We are one step closer to understanding why Nuria and Selena were killed and why so many others were harmed."
Defendant's Statement
Freemantle's lawyers released a statement on her behalf, describing her as "utterly devastated" by the tragedy. The statement, from Mark Jones at Payne Hicks Beach LLP, read: "As a mother of school-aged children herself, Claire will be tortured for the rest of her life by the dreadful loss and injury resulting from the unimaginable tragedy of that day. She remains utterly devastated by the appalling consequences for all those so tragically affected."
The statement also questioned the reversal of the CPS decision: "We believe that initial decision by the CPS was the right one in these tragic circumstances and that there are serious questions to be answered about the reasons for its reversal today."
Police Conduct Investigation
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is currently investigating officers for alleged racism in their handling of the case. The watchdog previously said it was probing allegations that officers provided "false and misleading information" to the families following complaints about the standard of the investigation. Four serving officers, including a commander and a detective chief inspector, are being investigated for gross misconduct.
