Awaab Ishak: Family demands 'punishment' for boy's mould death

Awaab Ishak died aged two following exposure to mould, an inquest found

The father of a toddler who died from a respiratory condition caused by mould has said he wants those responsible "to get the punishment they deserve".

Awaab Ishak, aged two, died after being exposed to mould at his Rochdale home in December 2020.

Awaab's father, Faisal Abdullah, repeatedly raised the issue with Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) but no action was taken.

RBH said it was "truly sorry" for Awaab's death.

Its new chief executive, Amanda Newton, who arrived in post eight weeks ago, said the organisation would "never forget that a little boy died in one of our homes, it absolutely shouldn't have happened".

Mr Abdullah, 31, told BBC North West Tonight that he was now exploring the possibility of civil action against RBH.

"I want those people who are responsible to get the punishment that they deserve," he said.

RBH, which has about 12,500 properties in the borough, was widely criticised following the conclusion of the inquest into Awaab's death.

Faisal and his wife Aisha Amin continue to demand justice for Awaab

An investigation by the Housing Ombudsman said the housing association had been "dismissive" and "unsympathetic" with residents.

It was consequently stripped of £1m in funds for new housing by the government, with Housing Secretary Michael Gove saying it had "failed its tenants".

Mr Abdullah said the mould in his home at that time "was in the kitchen, it was in the living room, it was in the bathroom".

He said asking RBH to fix the issues was "like begging, but nothing got done".

"The way I felt RBH conveyed the message to me is that, I come from Sudan so I should be grateful to be housed and that's it, get on with it," he said.

"I think they treated me that way because they were racist towards me.

"I feel actually that they have not considered me to be a human being."

Awaab died just eight days after celebrating his second birthday

Mr Abdullah said the loss of his son was a "feeling that I cannot describe," adding: "He was a very lively boy and he was full of joy."

Asked how he felt towards RBH, he said: "I want to avoid anything that has got to do with RBH.

"I've got friends in Rochdale who are still living in the area and I really don't want to go to because it brings back memories.

"I don't even want to see RBH vehicles on the road, in case it reminds me of what they have done to me."

Following his son's death, Mr Abdullah campaigned for a change in the law to compel landlords to quickly investigate and repair damp and mould.

In July the Social Housing Act came into force and as part of that the government committed to consult on Awaab's Law.

The law would set out new requirements for landlords to address hazards such as damp and mould in social homes.

The BBC understands that after that consultation, Awaab's Law could be implemented in April next year.

Mr Abdullah said he hoped the law would "protect other people who might be in the same situation".

'Truly sorry'

Responding to Mr Abdullah's comments, Ms Newton said: "We absolutely lost our way as a provider of social housing. We were too focused on development, we got it completely wrong.

"This organisation and I are truly sorry. I am full of remorse on behalf of the organisation and myself."

She said after Awaab's inquest, RBH "made a promise that we would do all that we could to ensure that no other family ever suffered such a loss".

Ms Newton said she wanted to "build a culture where listening to our customers and acting really quickly is hardwired in".

"We have made huge progress on that over the last 12 months, there's lots more to do so I don't want to give the impression that we are where we need to be, but it's the start of a journey," she said.

A year on from Awaab's inquest, RBH said more than 70% of its properties had been inspected and it expected to have completed all the inspections by early next year.