Inquest into the death of Zara Aleena concludes failures across multiple agencies contributed to her death

Thursday 27 June 2024

Rajeev Thacker of Garden Court Chambers represented the family of the deceased, instructed by Birnberg Peirce.

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The inquest into the death of Zara Aleena, which began on 3 June 2024, concluded on 26 June 2024 at East London Coroner’s Court.

On 26 June 2022, 35 -year-old Zara was killed by Jordan McSweeney as she walked home in Ilford, East London. Jordan McSweeney had been released from prison on licence from a prison sentence for criminal damage, racially aggravated harassment and unauthorised possession of a knife nine days before Zara's murder. The probation service waited five days before initiating his recall to prison after he missed two probation appointments.

A probation report had found McSweeney was not categorised as a high-risk offender, despite his previous convictions.

The inquest jury concluded that failures across multiple agencies had contributed to her death.

See press coverage: BBC News, The Guardian, Evening Standard.

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