Families of Brixton Academy crush victims demand answers to loved ones' deaths

ITV News London Reporter Sam Holder speaks to the families of the Brixton Academy crush as they continue to search for answers

The families of the victims of the two people who died following a crush outside the O2 Academy Brixton six months ago say they have still not received answers about how their loved ones died.

Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, of Newham, east London, and security worker Gaby Hutchinson, 23, from Gravesend, Kent, who was on duty at the venue, died days after being hurt when ticketless fans tried to get into a show by Nigerian Afrobeats artist Asake in December.

A 21-year-old woman is still seriously ill in hospital.

Six months on the grieving families said they have not received a direct apology from the venue, security firm, promoters or the artist and are seeking justice to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.

Speaking to ITV News London, Rebecca's aunt, Mary Ikumelo, 35, said: "You can't understand something that doesn't make any sense. She [Rebecca] went to have fun. And she died."She went out to have fun and she died".

Gaby's family also called for answers, telling ITV News London they could not "accept that she's gone without knowing why" as they called on people to come forward with information to help the police investigation.

"There needs to be a reason and we need to know what that is," Gaby's sister Nina, 32, said.

"She died at work and that should not have happened."

She continued: "We've been robbed. We've been robbed of a future with our sister, with our daughter. You know we shouldn't have been laying her to rest and we should be able to pop around and see her not be talking to a crematorium.

"We're really angry that we've lost her. And it's not just us that's impacted. It's so many other people and we're having to read what's happened from that night."

The families of Gaby and Rebecca are urging people to come forward.

"I just want anyone to come forward with any information even if it's the smallest little bit," Nina said.

"We just want you to come forward because we never thought this would happen to us. And it could happen to you and we've worked on it and please come forward."

Nina Hutchinson remembers her sister as "caring and selfless".

"A great person. Always playing practical jokes, making everyone laugh," she adds

Gaby's mother, Chris, 60, said her daughter's death has "left a big hole".

"She would always protect anyone. She was so caring and loving," she said.

"We still think she's going to come home, walk through the door."

Both families told ITV News London they have not received an apology.

"We've not heard anything from the person that was doing the concert that night. We've not had anything from the council, we've not had anything from AMG," Nina said.

Rebecca’s father Anthony, 63, said he felt they had been "stepped over".

Brixton Academy faces permanent closure after the Metropolitan Police urged the council to strip the venue of its licence.

In a statement at the time, Academy Music Group (AMG) which operates the site said: "Our heartfelt condolences are with Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson’s family and friends. We continue to be devastated by this tragedy."

Rebecca, a mother of two boys aged five and seven, was "absolutely beautiful... inside and out," her aunt told ITV News London.

"She was extremely supportive. She said she was an amazing mum. And she always had time for people and she never said no. She was just an amazing person," Mary said.

Rebecca’s sons, aged seven and five, know that something is wrong, according to their grandmother Yetunde Olodo, 59.

Questions over safety and security need to be answered, Mary Ikumelo said and that with proper safeguarding measures, Rebecca's death would have been preventable.

“You should be able to go somewhere to have fun and come back," she said.

She said: “We are very angry and upset. We will never stop as a family until justice prevails.

“She (Rebecca) deserves justice, (Gaby) deserves justice and there is another lady who has been in intensive – she deserves justice. Rebecca’s children deserve justice. This is just not acceptable."

Their appeal comes as Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney revealed a criminal investigation is being conducted involving a range of potential offences such as “corporate manslaughter, criminal negligence manslaughter, unlawful act manslaughter and health and safety at work offences along with violent disorder and offences against the person or assaults”.

Mr Penney said: “This is being treated as a criminal investigation.

“We do have persons of interest that we are looking into. It is a very complicated and broad investigation.

“We are looking at every avenue to establish exactly what went wrong. There are many people and organisations involved in this investigation that could provide further information to us.

“There were hundreds of people there filming the incident on their mobile phones – we don’t have hundreds of pieces of social media, so however insignificant it is we want people to come forward with whatever they have.”

AP Security have been contacted for comment.

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