By Mohamed Kamara
Families of the two toddlers who died under mysterious circumstances at the National Pentecostal School in Freetown on Tuesday, 18th March 2025, are calling on President Julius Maada Bio to intervene and ensure justice is served. Speaking at a press conference held at the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) headquarters, the bereaved parents expressed deep dissatisfaction with the actions of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the government pathologist who conducted the post-mortem.
According to the parents, their children were reported missing during school hours and were discovered dead nearly eleven hours later inside a parked black vehicle belonging to the Bishop of the National Pentecostal Church, within the school premises. Despite initial police involvement and the questioning of certain individuals, all suspects were reportedly released before the autopsy was conducted and findings announced.
The families voiced serious concerns over the police’s handling of the case. They questioned why the only surviving child from the incident was not interrogated, and why the car in which the children were found dead was removed and not presented as evidence. They believe this constitutes a serious lapse in due process.
Suspicion also surrounds the role of the government pathologist, who parents say prematurely released autopsy results without judicial oversight. They argue that the findings—listing asphyxia, suffocation, and inhalation of irrespirable gas consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning—should have been reviewed in court, in the presence of prosecution and defense counsel, rather than unilaterally disclosed by the police.
“The justice system requires transparency,” one parent stated. “Even a pathologist’s report can be contested in court, but in this case, the police acted as judge and jury.”
Further skepticism was raised regarding key autopsy observations, including “cherry-colored and discolored organs and blood,” and “severe cerebral anoxia,” with no signs of physical trauma, suggesting death by toxic gas. Parents questioned how toddlers could have entered a locked vehicle undetected, why the presence of a fourth child was concealed, and why the surviving child’s family has remained silent.
They also cited troubling behavior by the class teacher, who reportedly left the classroom early and delayed notifying authorities.
The bereaved families issued a list of demands:
Full disclosure regarding the vehicle’s current location and condition;
Identification and investigation of school staff involved;
Testimony from the fourth child with appropriate protection;
A formal, supervised statement from the surviving child;
An independent investigation with oversight from civil society, legal, and human rights experts;
Legal action against individuals found responsible for negligence or obstruction.
The families concluded by stating that if national mechanisms fail, they are prepared to escalate the matter to regional and international human rights bodies.
