Selena Lau: Grieving parents frustrated by 'slow' investigation into daughter's school death

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The parents of a schoolgirl killed when a 4x4 ploughed into a playground as pupils held an end of term tea party criticised the time it was taking police to investigate.

Speaking to ITV News London, Selena Lau's family felt they were 'paying for someone else’s mistake' seven months on from the crash at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon

Selena's parents said they were losing confidence in the Met and couldn't understand why the investigation was taking so long.

Selena was one of two pupils killed after a Land Rover crashed through a school fence in July 2023.

"I just need some answers we owe it our daughter. How did this happen? Why we have to pay for someone else's mistake? and why are we punished for that," said Selena's mother Jessie.

The family described going through the pain of Christmas without their daughter as they waited anxiously to hear from police.

Jessie added: "Seven months and we're still here waiting, we don't know what we are waiting for."

Selena's father Franky said he is often asked by friends and colleagues for an update on the police investigation, but responds: "We haven't heard anything'.

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Franky added: "Every time we just say there's been no progress.

"Nothing's happened with the driver apart from that she's been released with no bail conditions so she's free to do whatever she wants. That's the only update we have.

"From our point of view it shouldn't take seven months for an incident where lots of people have seen what's happened.

"Everyone has seen the car. Everyone has seen the driver.

"One driver. One car. Lots of witnesses."

A 46-year-old woman from Wimbledon, who was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, was re-bailed.

Selena's parent's described their daughter as "bubbly, really happy, full of energy, funny, cheeky."

Her mother, Jessie added: "She was really competitive at school as well, she wanted to do everything the best she could.

"She would often compete with her sister at home - if her sister was good at piano she would too, and spend more time practicing.

"She even started to play the oboe, a couple of months before the accident."

On the day of the crash, Franky got a panicked call from his wife after the school told her something was wrong.

He said: "When she called me I knew something wasn't quite right, I could hear it in her voice.

"I was working from home that day and she [Jessie] was in the city so she asked me to go to the school. 

"I got a lift from my dad and when we got there, there was a lot of traffic. The school had been cordoned off. I had to run from Wimbledon Common all the way there.

"The police initially wouldn't let me in. I told them that I was one of the parents, the police started talking to each other they were saying 'he's one of the parents they called' - at that point I knew something wasn't right. 

Franky Lau was taken to the school hall where he saw his mother, teachers and other parents.

"My mum came running towards me and started crying, hugging me saying 'Selena's gone.' I just couldn't believe it," Franky said.

"I fell onto the ground, crying, I was in total shock," he explained.

Jessie still can't understand how such a tragedy could happen at a school.

She saiud: "People were saying its just the wrong time wrong place but It was a school day. She was inside the school. Selena wasn't in the wrong place.

"The only thing in the wrong place was that car, and it took away my daughter."

In a statement the Detective Chief Superintendent Clair Kelland said: "Our thoughts remain with the families of Nuria and Selena who we know are greatly loved and missed.

"This was a tragic incident and we understand that the families want and need answers as to what happened. We are continuing to give them specialist support through our dedicated family liaison officers who are providing updates on the investigation where they can.

"Specialist detectives are working tirelessly to establish the circumstances of that day, including analysing CCTV and examining the expert report from forensic collision investigators.

"The incident involved the large scale deployment of joint resources from the Met, LAS and LFB and we are working closely with them, as well as the Crown Prosecution Service, as part of our investigation.

"We recognise that the time taken can cause further distress but it is only right and fair to all involved that we carry out a thorough and extensive investigation."

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