The driver of a Land Rover that crashed into a school in south London and killed two girls has been charged.
Claire Freemantle, 49, has been charged with causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving after two eight-year-old girls were killed when a 4×4 crashed into The Study Prep school in Wimbledon, south London, in July 2023.
Schoolgirls Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau died in the incident, which happened as pupils celebrated the last day of the summer term.
Ms Freemantle’s lawyers have said she will plead not guilty to the charges when she appears at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 16 June.
The charges come after the girls’ families criticised the Metropolitan Police for its investigation into the crash, with the force saying in June 2024 that the driver had suffered an epileptic seizure and would face no criminal charges.
Ms Freemantle was rearrested and released under investigation in January last year.
Her lawyers said there are “serious questions to be answered” over why the decision not to charge her was reversed, in a statement issued after she was charged.
Ms Freemantle’s lawyers said the defendant is “utterly devastated” after the two girls’ deaths, but that she has “no recollection” of what happened.
The statement, from Mark Jones at Payne Hicks Beach LLP on behalf of Ms Freemantle, 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.”
It added: “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.”
The Met apologised for the way it initially dealt with the incident and the “impact on those affected” – adding it will be “fundamentally resetting how the Met investigates fatal and serious collisions”.
In a statement, 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.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct previously said it was probing allegations that officers provided “false and misleading information” to the families following complaints about the standard of the investigation.
Confirming the watchdog’s investigation, IOPC director Amanda Rowe said in April: “The complaints relate to concerns about the standard of the investigation, including its management and direction, the conduct of the investigation team, and their engagement with the victims.
“We are also investigating allegations that Met officers provided false and misleading information to those affected and whether the officers’ treatment of those affected was influenced by their race.
“We have now served notices advising four serving officers, whose ranks are commander, detective chief inspector, detective sergeant and detective constable, and a former detective inspector, that their conduct is being investigated at the level of gross misconduct.
“Two detective constables are being investigated at misconduct level. Our investigation is ongoing and should any further conduct issues be identified then officers will be served notices.
“All officers served notices will be interviewed in due course. The serving of notices does not mean that proceedings will necessarily follow.”
