Households of victims who died in Brixton Academy crush say they may ‘by no means cease’ in seek for justice
The younger sons of a girl who died in a crowd crush on the O2 Academy in Brixton are beginning to ask: “Where is my mum?”
Rebecca Ikumelo’s boys, aged 5 and 7, are starting to grasp their mom is not coming house, her relations have mentioned.
Ms Ikumelo, 33, of Newham, east London, and safety employee Gaby Hutchinson, 23, of Gravesend, Kent, who was on responsibility on the south London venue, each died days after being harm when ticketless followers tried to get right into a present by Nigerian Afrobeats artist Asake in December.
A 21-year-old lady remains to be significantly in poor health in hospital.
Their grieving households are trying to find solutions as to how the crush happened and have now appealed to the general public to assist with a police legal investigation into the lethal incident.
‘They are actually feeling their mum’s absence’
Ms Ikumelo’s father, Anthony, mentioned the household needed to see a fundamental sense of “compassion” and “respect” from everybody concerned to help the investigation into what went improper on 15 December.
Organising extra live shows and occasions as a substitute – whereas there are nonetheless security considerations – could be a “further slap” to the relations, he added.
Anthony Ikumelo, 63, father, and Wale Ikumelo, 31, brother, of Rebecca Ikumelo, 33
Mr Ikumelo added one of many causes his daughter died was “greed” and lamented the dearth of security measures on the day.
He mentioned: “It feels like greed is one of the reasons why my daughter died and why all the things that should have been in place for safety were not there.
“This is why everybody must be working with us, from the federal government down, to search out out what occurred and to stop it from occurring once more.
“We want those responsible prosecuted and eventually we want the government to make sure this will not happen to another family again.”
Rebecca Ikumelo of Newham. Pic: Met Police
Yetunde Olodo mentioned Ms Ikumelo’s younger sons – her grandsons – are lacking their mum.
She defined: “They don’t understand what is happening but I am sure they are really feeling their mum’s absence.”
Questions over security and safety must be answered, based on Ms Ikumelo’s aunt Mary, who mentioned it was “a stampede and it is not the first time this has happened in the UK”.
She mentioned further security measures must be put in place at future occasions.
She added: “We are very angry and upset.
“The individuals who suppose that perhaps they will get away with this – they must be scared as a result of we are going to by no means cease as a household till justice prevails.”
Sale of ‘dodgy’ tickets contributed to tragedy
The other victim of the crush was 23-year-old security worker Gaby Hutchinson and her family also have many unanswered questions.
“Why was she inside? Why was there so many individuals? Why have been there so many individuals turning up? The venue was full and you have folks exterior eager to get in,” said her mother Chris.
Her daughter was “skilled to stroll across the [venue’s] perimeter and that was it,” she added.
Gaby Hutchinson died while working on the occasion
While Ms Hutchinson’s sister Nina mentioned: “She did not die because of an accident like a car accident. She died at work and that should not have happened.”
She added: “I hope that for the people who were selling supposedly dodgy tickets that was worth it to them because ultimately it is [part of] what led to my sister’s death.
“There wouldn’t have been that extra of individuals there who didn’t have tickets, in case you didn’t try this.”
The family feel “concern” of concerts and similar events ever since Ms Hutchinson’s death, her sister added, and they now tried to avoid crowds.
Chris Hutchinson, 60, mom, and Nina Hutchinson, 32, sister, of Gaby Hutchinson, 23, who died following a crowd crush exterior an Asake live performance on the Brixton O2 Academy in London
Police investigation replace
Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney mentioned the legal investigation was beneath approach and potential offences being regarded into included “corporate manslaughter, criminal negligence manslaughter… health and safety at work offences, along with violent disorder”.
Mr Penney mentioned the police “are looking at every avenue to establish exactly what went wrong” and “have persons of interest” they’re probing.
He appealed to the “hundreds of people” on the occasion capturing the scenes on their telephones saying, “however insignificant it is, we want people to come forward with whatever they have”.