Imagine sending your kids off to school, only to hear devastating news that a car has crashed into their playground, killing two young friends. That's exactly what happened in July 2023 at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon, London. Nuria Sajjad, an eight-year-old girl of Indian origin, and Selena Lau, another eight-year-old student, lost their lives in the crash. More than a dozen others were injured.

The car, a Land Rover, drove through a fence and into the school grounds during a summer term end-of-year celebration. The incident sparked a massive investigation, and police initially looked into Claire Freemantle, a 49-year-old woman from Edge Hill in Wimbledon.

However, in June 2024, police said Freemantle had suffered an epileptic seizure and wouldn't face charges. That decision was later overturned after concerns were raised by the victims' families, leading to a reinvestigation.

Freemantle was rearrested and released under investigation in January last year. Her lawyers have questioned the reversal of the earlier decision, saying there are 'serious questions to be answered' over why the case was reopened.

The Metropolitan Police has acknowledged shortcomings in its initial handling of the case and will 'fundamentally reset' how it investigates fatal and serious collisions. An independent investigation is also examining the conduct of 11 police staff over the case, including allegations of misleading information and possible racial bias in the way the case was managed.

Now, Freemantle faces two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and seven counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Her lawyers say she'll plead not guilty when she appears at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 16.