Family of schoolboy who died after being pushed into river despite not being able to swim blame institutional racism after CPS announce no one will be prosecuted over his death
- Christopher Kapessa drowned in the River Cynon, in South Wales last year
- The 13-year-old had been with a group of young people before he died
- Police said there was no suspicious circumstances and that it was an ‘accident’
The family of a schoolboy who died after being pushed into a river despite not being able to swim have blamed institutional racism after the CPS decided that no one would be prosecuted for the death of the youngster.
Christopher Kapessa had been with a group of young people before he entered the water and drowned in South Wales last year.
The 13-year-old was found in the River Cynon, near Fernhill in the Rhondda Cynon Taff on 1 July last year.
Police initially said there were no suspicious circumstances and that Christopher’s death was a ‘tragic accident’.
Christopher Kapessa (pictured above) had been with a group of young people before he entered the water and drowned in South Wales last year
But concerns were raised by Christopher’s family after just four out of 14 youngsters at the scene were interviewed.
The Crown Prosecution Service has now written to Christopher’s family saying that despite ‘clear evidence’ he was pushed into the water no charges will be brought.
Keen footballer Christopher, who could not swim, was found in the River Cynon, near Fernhill in the Rhondda Cynon Taff, South Wales, on 1 July last year.
In a letter to the family, the CPS said there was ‘sufficient evidence to support a charge of unlawful act of manslaughter’.
Keen footballer Christopher, who could not swim, was found in the River Cynon (above), near Fernhill in the Rhondda Cynon Taff, South Wales, on 1 July last year
It added the suspect, a boy, is ‘mature and intelligent for his age’ and had a ‘good school record’.
The letter said: ‘There was clear evidence that the suspect pushed Christopher in the back with both hands causing him to fall into the river.
‘That push was an unlawful act and it was clearly dangerous in that on an objective standard it created a danger of some harm.’
But the letter added the evidence suggested the push was ‘not in an effort to harm someone’ but ‘ill considered’.
Christopher’s family has now hit out at institutional racism in the Crown Prosecution Service and South Wales Police.
Mum Alina Joseph said: ‘From the start, South Wales Police baffled us by being unable to answer many of the most basic of our questions.
‘If this had been 14 black youths and a white victim we have no doubt that the approach of the police and outcome would have been different.
‘We know that family members of the 14 young people involved demanded the police come and interview their children, whose account was radically different from the four principle suspects.
‘The decision made by the CPS leaves us feeling confused and perplexed as to how some can callously lie about my son’s death, inflicting more pain and anxiety on us for the last eight months.
‘And it is the suspect’s human rights that prevail, whilst prosecution over my son’s death is deemed as not being in the public interest.’
The family’s lawyer Hilary Brown said: ‘The decision of the CPS is disappointing in light of the fact that they confirmed that the evidential threshold was met for bringing a charge of manslaughter against a young man.
‘Christopher died not as a result of a ‘tragic accident’ as South Wales Police initially concluded, but as a consequence and direct result of being ‘pushed’ into the river.’
An Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation into South Wales Police’s handling of the case is still ongoing.
An inquest into Christopher’s death is due to take place at a later date.