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The driver of a four-wheel drive that crashed into a south-west London primary school has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after two eight-year-old girls were killed.
Claire Freemantle, 49, is accused of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and seven counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving after the incident at the Study Preparatory school in Wimbledon in July 2023.
Schoolgirls Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau died in the incident which happened as the school was celebrating the last day of the summer term.
Freemantle’s lawyers have said she will plead not guilty to the charges when she appears at Westminster magistrates court on 16 June.
The girls’ families have criticised the Metropolitan police for its investigation into the crash, with the force saying in June 2024 that the driver had had an epileptic seizure and would face no criminal charges.
Freemantle was rearrested and released under investigation in January last year.
In a statement issued after she was charged on Friday, Freemantle’s lawyers said there were “serious questions to be answered” over why the decision not to charge her was reversed.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating officers for alleged racism in their handling of the case.
The watchdog previously said it was investigating allegations that officers provided “false and misleading information” to the families after complaints about the standard of the investigation.
Four serving officers, including a commander and a detective chief inspector, are being investigated for gross misconduct.
