The attack that led to Christina Edkins' death was 'predictable and preventable', say family
'Predictable and preventable' - that is how the family of a 16-year-old girl stabbed to death on her way to school described the attack by a paranoid schizophrenic.
Relatives of Christina Edkins spoke out following a damning report which identified crucial failings by the police, prison service and NHS in failing to deal with the dangers posed by her attacker, who had been released from prison prior to the attack.
Christina was stabbed in a random attack on a bus by Philip Simelane while she was on her way to Leasowes High School in Halesowen, in March 2013.
The report byBirmingham CrossCity Clinical Commissioning Group said Christina's death could have been prevented were it not for 'missed opportunities' by the authorities.
Simelane, aged 23, was sentenced to an indeterminate hospital order after pleading guilty to Christina's manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility in October last year. He had a long history of mental illness, but had been released unsupervised from prison three months before the attack.
Christina's great-uncle Chris Melia welcomed the publication of the report by Dr Alison Reed, which made 51 recommendations calling for the improved sharing of mental health information between agencies including the NHS, the police and the prison service.
However, he said the family disagreed with Dr Reed's conclusion that nobody could have predicted the random attack on Christina, which took place on a No. 9 bus in Hagley Road, Edgbaston.
"The report said that Christina's death was preventable but not predictable, but we believe it was also predictable, we believe that very strongly," he said.
In a statement, Christina's family added: "The report clearly shows that long-term failings by members of the police, prison-service and medical staff effectively to deal with and treat Philip Simelane during 11 years of a developing mental illness, culminated in a series of mismanaged opportunities throughout the 14 months leading up to Christina's death on a bus in Birmingham.
Mr Melia added that Simelane's own mother had called police a total of 21 times in the months leading up to the attack because she was afraid about her son's mental health.
"There were lots of other people who said how gravely ill this chap was, but somehow they didn't seem to find it necessary to do anything," said Mr Melia.
"He had assaulted a police officer, and he had assaulted his mother a number of times. He said he was going to stab and kill her. There are so many missed opportunities it's unbelievable."
Mr Melia said Simelane had been identified as needing medication for his schizophrenia, but nothing was done to ensure that he took it once he left prison.
