Police showed 'unconscious bias' towards driver who killed two schoolgirls in Wimbledon crash, grieving families say
It comes as 11 Metropolitan Police officers face misconduct probes over their initial handling of an inquiry into the fatal crash.
The grieving families of two-eight year-old girls who died when a 4x4 crashed into a south London school have claimed police displayed bias in favour of the wealthy white driver, who was never charged.
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It comes as 11 Metropolitan Police officers face misconduct probes from the police watchdog over their initial handling of an inquiry into the fatal Wimbledon crash.
Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, both eight, died after Claire Freemantle plowed her £70,000 Land Rover into an end-of-term party at The Study Preparatory School in July 2023.
The Crown Prosecution Service said Freemantle suffered an undiagnosed epileptic seizure and the driver was never charged. The CPS said she had no prior diagnosis of a medical condition and had never had a seizure before.
The families of both girls and other surviving victims have complained to the police watchdog, alleging officers displayed “unconscious bias” by siding with the wealthy female driver.
They claim “confirmation bias” based on the driver's race and status meant investigating officers failed to question Freemantle’s account.
Read more: Watchdog investigates 11 Met officers over inquiry into Wimbledon crash that killed two schoolgirls
Read more: Driver of SUV involved in Wimbledon primary school crash that killed two girls arrested
The Met announced in October 2024 that it was reopening its investigation into the crash after multiple lines of inquiry emerged following an internal review.
One of the core elements in the original investigation was the epilepsy diagnosis, which is hard to detect without brain scans shortly after a seizure and a detailed consideration of a patient's medical history.
The internal Met review hit out at missed opportunities by the initial investigation team in the Road Traffic Collisions Unit, who reportedly never interviewed key witnesses at the scene about the driver’s behaviour immediately after the crash.
When the case was later reopened, police appealed to anyone who witnessed the crash to come forward to help officers determine whether the driver's behaviour was consistent with her diagnosis.
Fremantle, who lives in a £4 million home with her investment banker husband near the school, previously she felt the “deepest sorrow” about fatally ramming the two eight-year-olds with her 4x4, but said she had “no recollection” of the crash.
She was re-arrested in January 2025 on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and was forced to undergo another police interview in July 2025.
The CPS confirmed it received evidence from the Met on 17 March and additional legal advice last week. But it said there were further factors to determine before it could bring forward a decision on a charge.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched its investigation in August 2025, saying its inquiry would look at "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".
It would also look at the standard of the probe, such as its management, the investigation team’s conduct, and how they interacted with the victims’ families.
The ranks of the four serving officers under investigation for possible gross misconduct are commander, detective chief inspector, detective sergeant and detective constable.
Two detective constables also face misconduct probes.
Saj Butt and Smera Chohan, parents of Nuria Sajjad told LBC in February 2024 they “deserve answers” about what happened.
Speaking to Shelagh Fogarty, Saj said: "Whatever these answers are, we deserve them. I miss her every moment. I just want to know what happened.
Smera said: "We shouldn’t have to ask and ask - we should be on a half term with our daughter. Why are we here? We are not even healing yet, we’ve got this fight ahead and we are hopeful.”
She added: "Whatever happened on July 6 last year there will never be any winners. We deserve the respect of clarity, the respect of a thorough investigation and the respect of answers. Our grief is doubled, quadrupled, we are still in a waiting room."
Commander Charmain Brenyah, who leads the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: “Our thoughts remain with Nuria and Selena’s families, as well as everyone who has been impacted by this terrible tragedy.
"We understand this prolonged process has compounded their grief and suffering.
“It is right that our initial handling of this incident be independently scrutinised, and we will provide every assistance to the IOPC as their investigation continues.”