Death of Christopher Kapessa

Christopher Kapessa was a Welsh boy who died at the age of 13 in the River Cynon on 1 July 2019.[1] According to Kapessa's family and their representatives, the police investigation into the incident lasted around two days, the event declared "an accident" within 24 hours.[2][3] A fortnight later, anti-racist charity The Monitoring Group submitted a complaint to South Wales Police on behalf of Kapessa's mother Alina Joseph, alleging racial discrimination in the police response.[4][2][5] In February 2020, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reported that there was "sufficient evidence" but not "public interest" for a manslaughter case against a child suspected to have pushed Kapessa into the river.[6][7]

Joseph has criticised the South Wales Police as "institutionally racist".[8] The local community in Wales and internet crowdfunding have provided money to the family, which supports their legal fees.[9][10][11] In June 2020, the subject received attention as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.[7]

Background

According to The Times, Kapessa's mother Alina Joseph was born in the Congo and moved to the UK in the 1990s.[7] Christopher Kapessa had six siblings and was raised by his single mother, who worked as a bus driver.[12][7] Kapessa was born in London, with the family moving to Wales in 2011.[7] Joseph reported that the family had been called "the only blacks in the village" in Wales and were subject to racist bullying and harassment, one incident leaving Christopher alone "in a pool of his own blood".[7] Her lawyer reported that her home had been vandalised with graffiti.[12]

Christopher Kapessa attended Mountain Ash Comprehensive School.[9] He was a member of the local Mountain Ash junior football team and also enjoyed dancing.[1][11] In 2018, he and his siblings survived a fire at their house in Hirwaun, Wales.[12]

Death

Aged 13, Christopher Kapessa died on 1 July 2019 in the River Cynon in Fernhill, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.[1] Kapessa was unable to swim.[6] On the day of his death, Kapessa had told Joseph he was going to play football with his friends after school.[7] Later evidence, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), made it clear that Kapessa was pushed into the river in an action that was "not in an effort to harm someone". The CPS said that the suspect was aged 14 at the time of the incident, had a "good school record" and had never previously come to the attention of the police.[6][11] The suspect has been reported to be white and male.[7]

Alina Joseph was informed that he had "jumped off a bridge" around 5 p.m. by a sports coach.[7] Emergency services were notified of the incident around 5:40 p.m.[1] A South Wales Police search team, firefighters, paramedics and a helicopter were dispatched;[13][9] Kapessa's body was recovered from the river and he was pronounced dead at the scene.[14]

Police investigations

According to the director of anti-racist charity The Monitoring Group, police ruled the incident "an accident" within 24 hours.[2] The family claimed that the investigation had stopped around a day after the incident was declared an accident, by which time four of the 14 people present at the scene had been contacted by police.[3] Joseph reported that on multiple occasions, police presented her with glasses that did not belong to her son and tried to convince her that they did.[7]

On 17 July 2019, The Monitoring Group filed a complaint to South Wales Police on behalf of Joseph, alleging racial discrimination in the police's treatment of the incident.[4][2][5] Joseph later said that the police were "insensitive" and had been "unable to answer many of the most basic of our questions".[6][7] Joseph was also in contact with Race Alliance Wales, who urged a "full investigation" into both the death of Kapessa and the police conduct in response to the incident.[2]

It was reported on 26 July 2019 that, according to Hilary Brown of Race Alliance Wales, the investigation was pursuing possible manslaughter.[4] Chief superintendent Dorian Lloyd said that the investigation had now been passed to "the major crime investigation team".[4] A teenage boy was reported to be in cooperation with the police over their inquiries.[4][15] The police said that a family liaison officer was in contact with Kapessa's family.[3] By February 2020, the team had taken 170 statements and conducted 54 child interviews.[6]

In February 2020, the Crown Prosecution Service commented that there was "sufficient evidence" for a manslaughter prosecution case. However, they reported that no such case would go ahead as there was not "public interest" for it.[6] The family's lawyer called the response "disappointing" but said that "we are not looking for retribution".[6][7] Joseph criticised the response and called the South Wales Police "institutionally racist".[8]

Public reaction

In July 2019, the local community raised in excess of £9,000 to go to Kapessa's family across various fundraisers, according to WalesOnline.[9][10] By February 2020, Kapessa's family had launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay for their legal fees.[11] A petition calling for further investigation into the cases of Kapessa's death and the death of Shukri Abdi had reached 5,000 signatures by March 2020.[16]

Organisations who have expressed concern over the police handling of case include Racism Alliance Wales, Cardiff Stand Up To Racism, Women Connect First and Black Association of Women Stepping Out.[6] In June 2020, campaigners in the Black Lives Matter movement compared the police handling of the case to that of the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993. Kapessa's mother said that members of the movement had made her feel "like you have the world behind you".[7]

References
  1. "Fernhill river death: Tributes to Christopher Kapessa". BBC. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  2. "Mum's police complaint over Christopher Kapessa river death". BBC. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  3. Dewey, Philip; Gupwell, Katie-Ann (25 July 2019). "Teen's river death to be investigated by major crime team". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  4. "Christopher Kapessa death probe 'a manslaughter investigation'". BBC. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  5. "Mum makes police complaint after son died in river". ITV News. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  6. "Police and CPS accused of racism after Christopher Kapessa's death". BBC. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  7. Gadher, Dipesh (14 June 2020). "CPS accused of racism over death of boy 'pushed into river'". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  8. Hughes, Marcus (24 February 2020). "Suspect in river death of teen Christopher Kapessa won't be charged and his mum says police and CPS are racist". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  9. Dewey, Philip (9 July 2019). "'Devastated' school pays tribute to teenager Christopher Kapessa who died in river". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  10. Dewey, Philip (26 July 2019). "Christopher Kapessa's family demand to know truth about his unexplained death in river". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  11. White, Nadine (28 February 2020). "'When Will It Cease?' Grieving Mum Who Accused Police And CPS Of Institutional Racism Speaks Out". HuffPost. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  12. "Christopher Kapessa previously escaped house fire". BBC. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  13. "Boy dies after police called to Fernhill river incident". BBC. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  14. Dewey, Philip (2 July 2019). "Tributes left to young boy found dead after major police search of river". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  15. "River death of schoolboy Christopher Kapessa to be investigated by major crime team". ITV News. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  16. "Christopher Kapessa's mother accuses police and CPS of racism following his death". ITV News. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.

Further reading
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