The parents of eight-year-old Nuria Sajjad who was killed when a 4x4 ploughed into her school continue to wait for answers eight months on from the crash.
Nuria and Selena Lau, who was also eight, died when a car crashed through a fence and into a building at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon on July 6 last year.
Nuria’s mum and dad, Smera and Sajjad, appeared on This Morning on Thursday (March 20), the day after what would have been her 9th birthday.
Smera said: “She was my whole heart and my whole world. When she was born I didn’t know I could love so much unconditionally and I promised myself to protect her fiercely.
“And this world that we are left with, I cannot come to terms with it. I struggle everyday, I question myself every second because she was my whole heart.”
Sajjad described her as a generous girl who loved to laugh.
The crash happened on the final day of term after an assembly where the pupils talked of their hopes and dreams.
Smera said: “It was perfect. We then went out into the garden and the girls came out via another entrance. We were waiting for them to come out. We were only supposed to be in that garden for 10 minutes.
“We spoke to her and we chatted, we told her how proud we are of her and how much we loved her.”
Smera took photos with her daughter on the grass outside the school, then moved in front of the building her daughter was leaving for the last time.
“I question myself everyday. Had I stayed on the grassy spot for 10 more seconds we would not have been hit,” she said.
A 46-year-old woman from Wimbledon was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and has since been released under investigation.
Sajjad described the eight month wait for answers as challenging.
“We have suffered greatly. So many have suffered greatly. This is a communal incident. A lot of people are desperately trying to deal with this and find answers, and of course we are at the front of that queue,” Sajjad said.
“It is challenging, it’s eight and a half months. We did out best to get through yesterday, Muria’s birthday, we understand there has been some progress.”
Sajjad said: “We are told the rational for the delay is anything from complexity to understaffing, which is difficult to hear. The other thing that makes this difficult is that this wasn’t a typical collision.
“Our girls were where they belonged, they were in the safest place they could be outside their own homes.”
Last month Selena’s dad, Franky Lau, told Vanessa Feltz on TalkTV that he does not have confidence in the Met and has no idea how long the family will have to wait for an update.
He said: “We still haven’t had any answers. There’s no update. We just don’t understand why it’s taking so long for an incident that everyone has seen.
“There’s only one suspect, one driver. She hasn’t escaped, it’s not like they’re looking for her.”
A Met Police spokesperson said: “Out thoughts remain with the family of Nuria and Selena, who we know are greatly loved and missed.
“This is a tragic incident. We understand that the family want and need answers as to what happened.
“Special detectives have worked tirelessly to establish the circumstances of that day including detailed analysis of CCTV and examination of expert reports. We’re also sought early expert advice from the Crown Prosecution Service.
“We recognise that the time taken can cause further distress. It is only right and fair to all involved that we carry out a thorough and extensive investigation.”
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