A 49-year-old woman, Claire Freemantle, has been formally charged in connection with a 2023 crash in Wimbledon, south London, where a Land Rover struck a school tea party marking the end of term. The incident killed two eight-year-old girls and left multiple others seriously injured.
Prosecutors brought two counts related to deaths and seven counts tied to serious injuries after police reopened the case and uncovered new evidence. The Metropolitan Police acknowledged mistakes in their initial handling of the investigation and referred officers to an independent watchdog.
Freemantle had not been charged earlier because authorities believed she experienced an epileptic seizure and had no memory of the incident. Her legal team now challenges the reversal of that decision, stating she will plead not guilty at her first court appearance scheduled for June 16 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
The renewed investigation followed concerns raised by the victims’ families. During the incident, the vehicle broke through a fence and crashed into the school building, injuring more than a dozen people, with several requiring hospital treatment.