- Christopher Kapessa, 13, died in River Cynon near Fernhill in Rhondda Cynon Taf
A teenager who drowned in front of his horrified friends was deliberately pushed into a river, an inquest has found.
Christopher Kapessa, 13, died in River Cynon near Fernhill in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales in July 2019.
Four witnesses told the inquest in Pontypridd that another boy, then aged 14, had pushed Christopher from a ledge into the water after saying words to the effect of ‘shall I push him in’.
Football-loving Christopher couldn’t swim and quickly slipped below the surface before ‘panicked’ teenagers desperately tried to help the boy.
Assistant Coroner David Regan stated the cause of death following a two-week hearing at South Wales Coroners’ Court.
He ruled: ‘The push was a dangerous prank, however the child responsible for it did not intend to cause Christopher’s death and himself jumped into the water with other children in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue.’
Christopher was described as ‘loving, caring, passionate and very protective’ by his family.
The boy, now aged 19 and who cannot be named for legal reasons, insisted to the inquest that he accidentally fell into Christopher, did not deliberately push him in and did not suggest doing so.
However, delivering his conclusions in the case Mr Regan said: ‘In my judgment, Christopher was deliberately pushed into the back from behind by (the boy) using his hands.
‘(The boy’s) actions deprived Christopher of the opportunity to decide whether or not to enter the water. I have no hesitation in finding that Christopher did not consent to being pushed into the river.’
Christopher, who was not a confident swimmer according to his mother, began panicking and shouted for help, the inquest heard.
Other children, including the boy alleged to have pushed him into the river, jumped in and tried to rescue him but Christopher disappeared below the surface at about 5.30pm.
The coroner said: ‘They acted very courageously in doing so.
‘(The boy) pushed Christopher into the water in a misplaced sense of fun, namely as a prank.’
Mr Regan described how Christopher fell 2.5 metres from the ledge into the river, into water that was 2.5 metres deep and had not been able to prepare for his entry.
Christopher’s head became submerged, he is likely to have suffered from cold water shock which would have led to the involuntary ingestion of water, the coroner said.
His head became submerged, he is likely to have suffered from cold water shock, which would have led to the involuntary ingestion of water, the coroner said.
Emergency services attended and Christopher was recovered from the water at 7.25pm. He was later declared dead at the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil.
During the four and a half years following his tragic death, Christopher’s family have called for the teenager to be charged.
The Crown Prosecution Service said in 2020: ‘Although there was evidence to support a prosecution for manslaughter it was not in the public interest to prosecute.
‘Christopher’s tragic death occurred after a group of children went out to have fun by the river. The evidence showed that Christopher was pushed into the river as a foolish prank with nothing to suggest that the suspect intended to harm him, although that was the awful consequence.’
But his family and Black Lives Matter campaigners alleged that the decision not to prosecute was racism.
The family challenged the review but it was upheld by the High Court in 2022 and the coroner’s investigation was then continued.
His mother previously told the inquest that their family had been victims in a string of racist attacks in the years prior.
She also told the hearing she was taken to hospital after being told Christopher was involved in an accident but was not told he had died.
She said: ‘Nobody told me Christopher had died until I worked it out for myself.’
‘There are no words to explain how I felt, no words to describe how this has left our family.’
In a statement to the inquest, she described Christopher – who loved playing football and computer games – as ‘my treasure’ who gave her ‘strength in life’.
She said: ‘Life will never be the same after Christopher’s death. I will continue to fight for justice for him.’
She told the hearing Christopher had: ‘A loving upbringing with love, discipline, protection, education, listening and understanding.’
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
