Shukri Abdi: Death Of 12-Year-Old In River Was An Accident, Coroner Rules

The drowning of a 12-year-old in a river in Bury has been ruled accidental by a coroner, more than a year after her death.

The body of Shukri Abdi, who came to the UK as a refugee with her family, was recovered by underwater search teams from the River Irwell in Greater Manchester on June 27, 2019.

According to the Justice for Shukri Abdi campaign, her family are now “considering legal action against the police” for alleged failures in “properly investigating” her death.

On Friday, Joanne Kearsley, senior coroner for Manchester North, said Abdi got into the water on a warm evening with another girl, “following some encouragement”.

The other child was aware Abdi could not swim, and would therefore be reliant on her to stay afloat, she said. Both went to an area of the water that was deeper and at some point the other girl tried to swim underwater, the coroner continued.

Kearsley said: “At this point, on the balance of probabilities, a combination of deep water, together with Shukri panicking and the other child struggling to swim, meant that she probably pushed Shukri off. Shukri went under the water and drowned.”

The coroner said both Shukri and the other child, referred to as Child 1, had joined other youngsters in visiting the river on the warm, sunny evening.

Lawyers for Shukri’s family submitted the coroner should consider a verdict of unlawful killing from either an act of murder or gross negligence manslaughter.

The inquest heard evidence that while walking to the river, Child 1 had said to Shukri: “You’d better get in the water or I am going to kill you,” but it was said in a laughing and joking manner.

The coroner found the remark was not made with any malice or intent, but “very much...

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