Five-Year-Old Dies in Plaistow Fall From 'Compromised' Window
Mother Blames Newham Council for 'Preventable' Death of Autistic Son After 15th-Floor Incident
Carla Rooney
A five-year-old boy, Aalim Ahmed, died after falling from a 15th-floor kitchen window in Plaistow, east London.
The window, described as 'compromised', was capable of both tilting and turning. An engineer dispatched by Newham Council had inspected the windows on December 17, 2023, finding them functioning correctly.
Aalim Ahmed suffered from autism, a condition affecting his ability to assess risk and make sound judgments regarding personal safety. The inquest ruled the boy jumped, believing he possessed the ability to fly.
The windows were not used appropriately.
Assistant Coroner Ian Wade stated the windows "were not used appropriately." Audio from CCTV outside the apartment block reportedly captured a child's voice counting down, followed by a loud clang.
Detective Constable Joe Linton's review of CCTV footage suggested Aalim likely jumped of his own accord, with no third party present. His father discovered his body shortly before 6 am on May 16, 2024.
A post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death as multiple injuries consistent with a fall from height. The mother, Sahra Osman, has blamed Newham Council for her son's death, describing it as 'preventable'.
Ms Osman complained the windows opened too wide and she did not possess a key to lock them. She told the court she was “scared” and “horrified” when the council placed her young family in the flat, which reportedly needed repairs, noting Aalim was autistic with “no sense of danger”.
Tom Monk, who worked for ABC Ltd, fitted new restrictors and a new hinge in the flat in January 2024. Detective Inspector Jamie Humm found no evidence or suspicion that Aalim had been forced out of the window; the flat appeared to be a loving environment.
I find there was no compelling reason why a landlord should've considered that placing this little boy on the 15th floor was inappropriate. It wasn't the fact that it was the 15th floor that was significant, what was significant was that the windows had become compromised.
Coroner Ian Wade stated, "I find there was no compelling reason why a landlord should've considered that placing this little boy on the 15th floor was inappropriate."
Wade further clarified, "It wasn't the fact that it was the 15th floor that was significant, what was significant was that the windows had become compromised."
He concluded, Aalim was an active five-year-old boy who suffered from a diagnosed condition called autism, such that to render him incapable of making reliable judgments about his personal safety and abilities.
Wade detailed the events, stating, "In the early hours of May 16 2024… he awoke and went from his bedroom to the kitchen, he climbed onto a chair and then onto the windowsill of an insecure double turn and tilt window."
The coroner added, "He opened the window and in a naive belief that he could fly or alternatively could come to no harm he leapt from the open window… he died at the scene."
The coroner found no basis to issue a report to prevent future deaths.