Christopher Kapessa: What we know from his inquest
- Published
Alina Joseph has fought for years for justice for her son, Christopher Kapessa, who drowned in 2019
The inquest into the death of black schoolboy Christopher Kapessa has found he drowned after being pushed into a river in a "dangerous prank".
So, who was Christopher Kapessa and what have we learned from the inquest into his death?
Who was Christopher Kapessa?
After the inquest conclusion, Christopher's mum Alina Joseph said: "Despite his age, [he] was always thoughtful and sensitive, full of hope and undeterred by any obstacles placed in front of him."
She previously described her son as a "little character", who loved the outdoors and football.
In an interview in 2021 she told BBC Wales Investigates: "There was never a dull moment when Christopher was around. He was so loving, clever, always very smart, very intelligent. He was full of too much energy."
Alina Joseph paid tribute to her son as a 'little character' who was very intelligent and loved football
Christopher, known as Chris to his friends and family, was in Year 8 at Mountain Ash Comprehensive School, where his mum said he had a good group of friends.
One of his friends, Cobi, told a memorial to Christopher: "No matter what, he always put a smile on everyone's face."
He told the BBC Christopher had wanted to play football for Tottenham Hotspur, adding: "He was very passionate, he always wanted to play football, even if it was raining.
"It's empty without him now, you know."
One of seven siblings, Christopher would have turned 18 this year.
Christopher's friend Cobi told the BBC that his friend had dreamed of playing professional football
Two days after what would have been his birthday, a statement from his mum was read out at the inquest into his death.
Ms Joseph described her son as her "treasure" and said she would "fight for justice for him".
How did Christopher Kapessa die?
It was a hot, sunny day in July 2019, and Christopher had been playing after school with a group of friends who were jumping from a bridge into the River Cynon, near the village of Fernhill in south Wales.
At the inquest, witnesses who had been in the group on the day said Christopher had been joking around but was unsure about jumping into the water, when Jayden Pugh - then 14 - made physical contact with him and he plunged in.
Mr Pugh told the inquest he slipped and "fell into" Christopher, but some witnesses said they saw him push the boy in. Coroner David Regan said Mr Pugh's version of events was "simply untrue".
But he said the push was an act carried out with a "misplaced sense of fun".
A witness to the inquest recalled how she and others tried to save Christopher
The coroner praised young people who jumped in to try to help Christopher after realising he was struggling to stay afloat, calling them "very courageous".
Millie Morgan, now 18, told the inquest she went into the water after she realised Christopher was in trouble.
"I tried to find him but the water was too black and muddy," she told the South Wales Central Coroner's Court in Pontypridd.
"I looked for him for a while but I couldn't see him, and that's when the police came."
Christopher's body was found by specialist search teams one hour and 45 minutes after the first 999 call.
Christopher Kapessa's mother said her family had previously been subjected to racial abuse in a different part of south Wales
Was Christopher Kapessa's death racist?
According to the coroner, there was "no evidence that Christopher's death was caused by any racially motivated action".
He also said there was no "evidence of animosity" between any of the children, who all spoke of Christopher as a friend.
The CPS, which looked at the police's evidence, also previously said there was "nothing" in any of the young people's witness statements to suggest Christopher's death was racially motivated.
But a statement read to the coroner from Christopher's mum Alina Joseph revealed that her family had been subjected to years of racial abuse since moving to Wales.
She told the inquest the family lived in Hirwaun, Rhondda Cynon Taf, until 2018 and suffered "horrific treatment" and "felt very isolated"
She said they reported racist incidents to police but no action was taken.
Christopher Kapessa's death had worldwide attention from equal rights campaigners
Family's claim of institutional racism
Around a year after Christopher's death, his family accused South Wales Police and the CPS of institutional racism.
They said they had "no doubt" the approach of both organisations would have been different if it had been "14 black youths and a white victim".
Police had initially said there were no suspicious circumstances but re-interviewed witnesses when rumours started circulating that Christopher had been pushed.
After the family complained to South Wales Police, the force referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) and said it was "committed to implementing any opportunities for learning arising from their examination".
Evidence from the police enquiry was passed to the CPS, which has the job of reviewing evidence and deciding whether or not to prosecute suspects.
The CPS decided not to charge Mr Pugh despite there being evidence to support a prosecution for manslaughter, as they said it would not be in the public interest to do so.
In response to claims of racial bias in 2020, the CPS said their decision not to charge Mr Pugh was "based solely on the two stage test" of whether there was sufficient evidence, and whether a prosecution was in the public interest.
The decision led Christopher's mum Ms Joseph to say: "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 inquest into the death of 13-year-old Christopher Kapessa lasted two weeks
After the finding, Ms Joseph went to the High Court to appeal the decision not to charge Mr Pugh, but two judges ruled against her.
What will Christopher Kapessa's family do next?
After the inquest verdict, Ms Joseph's family and friends held up a banner outside court with a photo of Christopher and the words: "Justice for Christopher Kapessa. Killed and then failed by state racism."
They said the inquest verdict was a "vindication" of their campaign and they now want the CPS to look again at its decision not to prosecute Mr Pugh.
After the verdict, South Wales Police said: "We hope that this independent scrutiny and the outcome of the inquest proceedings will give us a greater understanding of the issues which have been raised about this case."
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