Claire Freemantle Charged With Killing Two Schoolgirls In Wimbledon Crash

A driver has been charged over a fatal crash at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon, south London, in July 2023 that killed two eight-year-old schoolgirls.

“- Published The driver of the car which crashed into the grounds of a south-west London school in 2023 killing two eight-year-old schoolgirls has been charged by prosecutors”

BBC

BBC reports that Claire Freemantle drove the Land Rover that went through the railings of The Study Prep school as pupils and their parents were celebrating the last day of term on the lawn, and that Selena Lau and Nuria Sajjad were killed while others were injured.

BBC

The BBC says the 48-year-old was charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and seven offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The London Evening Standard and Herts Advertiser both state that Freemantle, “49,” is accused of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and seven counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and that she will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 16.

The Independent also says Freemantle will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 16 June and frames the charges as “causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving.”

The London Evening Standard adds that Freemantle’s lawyers have said she will plead not guilty when she appears in court on June 16, and it identifies her address as “Edge Hill, Wimbledon.”

The charging decision comes after a sequence of investigative and prosecutorial reversals that the reporting ties to the Metropolitan Police’s handling of the crash and the Crown Prosecution Service’s earlier decision not to proceed.

The BBC says the first investigation ended in June 2024 with the driver facing no charges because prosecutors said she had had an “undisclosed epileptic seizure,” and it adds that Freemantle expressed “deepest sorrow” but said she had “no recollection of what happened.”

Herts Advertiser

The London Evening Standard and Herts Advertiser both say the charges come after the girls’ families criticised the Metropolitan Police for its investigation, with the force saying in June 2024 that the driver had suffered an epileptic seizure and would face no criminal charges.

The London Evening Standard states that Freemantle was “rearrested and released under investigation in January last year,” and it says her lawyers raised “serious questions to be answered” over why the decision not to charge her was reversed in a statement issued after she was charged.

The BBC adds that the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Review Group's findings and the reopening of the investigation led to the need to obtain “extensive new evidence over the last two years,” which the parents say “vindicated our position.”

London Now adds that in July 2025 the girls’ families lodged a complaint about the initial investigation and that the reinvestigation “also coming across "a number of issues relating to the first investigation".”

The reporting places the renewed criminal process alongside an independent scrutiny of how police handled the case, with the Independent Office for Police Conduct investigating officers and the Met issuing an apology.

“The driver of a 4×4 that crashed into a south-east London primary school has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after two eight-year-old girls were killed”

London Evening Standard

The London Evening Standard says the Met apologised for the way it initially dealt with the incident and the “impact on those affected” and adds that it will be “fundamentally resetting how the Met investigates fatal and serious collisions”.

It also quotes Commander Charmain Brenyah, who leads the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, saying: “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 is described as investigating officers for alleged racism in their handling of the case, and the watchdog previously said it was probing allegations that officers provided “false and misleading information” to the families.

The Independent provides more detail about the IOPC director Amanda Rowe’s April remarks, including that “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.”

Rowe also said the IOPC was “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.”

The BBC centers the families’ response to the charge, quoting the parents’ statement that they are “one step closer to finding out why our children died.”

In that statement, the parents say: “On 6 July 2023, our lives were torn apart by an unthinkable tragedy,” and they describe enduring “unimaginable pain” for “almost three years” alongside “all those affected.”

London Now

The parents say they “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,” and they add: “We were right to challenge that decision.”

They attribute vindication to “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,” and they say those steps “have all vindicated our position.”

BBC also includes descriptions of the girls from their families, saying Nuria Sajjad was “a bright, feisty, girl who had a zest for life who was eager for her future and had excitedly planned a party for a birthday she would never see.”

It adds that Selena Lau’s family said she was “an intelligent and cheeky girl who was adored and loved by everyone.”

While all the outlets describe the same core event—Freemantle’s charge over the Wimbledon school crash that killed Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau—the reporting emphasizes different aspects of the case.

“A driver of a Land Rover who crashed into a school in South London and killed two girls has been charged”

The Independent

The London Evening Standard and Herts Advertiser both foreground the charging details and the procedural date, stating she will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 16 and that her lawyers will plead not guilty, while also stressing the Met’s apology and the IOPC’s investigation into alleged racism and “false and misleading information.”

The Independent

The Independent similarly focuses on the charge and court appearance but adds extensive detail from IOPC director Amanda Rowe’s April comments, including the scope of the complaints and the statement that “The serving of notices does not mean that proceedings will necessarily follow.”

BBC, by contrast, foregrounds the parents’ statement and the narrative of how the case moved from no charges in June 2024 to a reopened investigation, quoting the parents’ claim that “The Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Review Group's findings” and “extensive new evidence” “have all vindicated our position.”

The Sun adds additional specifics not carried in the other reports, including that Freemantle was charged with “nine offences” and that the crash occurred during a “tea-party on the last day of term,” and it also says “More than fifteen others were injured” and that this included “a seven-month-old baby girl.”

London Now emphasizes the complaint timeline and the IOPC’s investigation launch, stating that “A referral was made to the IOPC by the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards” and that the independent investigation launched in August 2025.

The next steps described in the reporting are dominated by the court process and the ongoing police watchdog investigation into the initial inquiry.

The BBC says that with the decision to charge Freemantle, “the case will now proceed to trial,” and it frames the charge as enabling the parents “to see the woman who drove the car in court.”

The London Evening Standard and Herts Advertiser both say Freemantle will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 16, and they state her lawyers will plead not guilty to the charges.

The Independent adds that the IOPC investigation is ongoing and that “The serving of notices does not mean that proceedings will necessarily follow,” even as it lists the officers under gross misconduct investigation and the fact that “All officers served notices will be interviewed in due course.”

London Now quotes Commander Charmain Brenyah saying: “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.”

The reporting therefore ties the immediate future to a June 16 court appearance and trial progression, while the parallel future includes interviews and potential misconduct outcomes for officers under IOPC scrutiny.