Woman charged with manslaughter after death of an 11-year-old girl in East London

By Newsdesk

A woman has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of an 11-year-old girl in East London.

Jesmin Akter, 33, of Sutton Street, Shadwell, was charged on Friday (July 28) with manslaughter, as well as importing a regulated substance.

She will appear Thames Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 22 August.

Fatiha Sabrin, an 11-year-old girl, was discovered unresponsive at a residential property in Sutton Street in December 2021. She was swiftly transported to a hospital in East London, but tragically passed away later that same day.

During that time, it was believed that Sabrin’s death was the result of a ‘chemical incident’ related to a pest control substance. Nishat Tasnim Disha, who was the young girl’s mother’s cousin and affectionately known as an aunt to Sabrin, shared with MyLondon the profound shock and sorrow that the family experienced in the days following the tragic incident.

Nishat said Sabrin died just a day after her 11th birthday. She said, “Fatiha was such a brilliant and happy child, exceptionally kind and always curious to learn. I don’t have words to say for such a tragic loss.”

A family friend also revealed that she dreamt of becoming a doctor when she grew up. Sabbir Ahmad told MyLondon at the time, “She was a very bright girl. She was in my home eight or nine days ago and [we] were discussing her future plans. She was very responsive and told me she wanted to be a doctor, and wanted to make something very good of her life. She was also a great writer; she received awards for her writing skills.”

The residents of Shadwell conveyed their profound sadness upon hearing about Sabrin’s passing. A mother of three, residing across the road from Nida House where the incident took place, shared with MyLondon her emotional response at the time, saying, “I feel like I’ll cry every time I think about it.”

“As a mum it’s just your worst nightmare something like this happening. It’s so unfair what happened to her, I can’t stop thinking about her.”

After the incident, the Metropolitan Police reported that three additional individuals were taken to the hospital, and several others in the building felt unwell. Sabrin’s family has been notified of this development, and they are being supported by family liaison officers throughout this process, MyLondon reports.

A full statement from the Metropolitan Police read, “A woman has been charged following the death of Fatiha Sabrin in Shadwell in December 2021. Jesmin Akter, 33 (08.03.90), of Sutton Street, E1, was charged on Friday, 28 July with manslaughter and importing a regulated substance.

“She will appear Thames Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 22 August. The charge follows an investigation by detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.

“Fatiha Sabrin, aged 11, was found unresponsive at a residential property in Sutton Street, E1, on 11 December 2021. She was taken to an east London hospital where she sadly died later the same day. Fatiha’s family have been informed of this development and they continue be supporting by family liaison officers.

“Criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and she has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice proceedings. The charge follows an investigation by detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.”