Claire Freemantle, 46, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a car crashed into The Study Prep school in Wimbledon in July 2023, killing two eight-year-old girls, Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau. She faces two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and seven counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Freemantle's lawyers have indicated she will plead not guilty when she appears at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 16 June. The charges come after the Crown Prosecution Service initially decided in June 2024 to take no further action, citing that the driver had suffered an epileptic seizure.
The families of the victims criticised that decision and called for further investigation. In a statement, they said: '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.'
Freemantle's lawyers argue that the initial decision was correct and that 'there are serious questions to be answered about the reasons for its reversal today.' They stated that Freemantle, a mother of school-aged children, is 'utterly devastated' and has 'no recollection' of the incident.
The Metropolitan Police has apologised for its handling of the case, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating allegations of racism and gross misconduct by four serving officers, including a commander and a detective chief inspector.
