Autistic boy leapt to his death from ‘compromised’ window in 15th-floor flat, inquest finds
- Five-year-old Aalim Ahmed died instantly on 16 May 2024 after falling from a 15th-floor kitchen window in a temporary social housing flat in Plaistow, east London.
- An inquest at East London Coroner’s Court heard that Aalim, who was autistic and had no sense of danger, climbed onto a windowsill and opened an insecure tilt-and-turn window before jumping out.
- Assistant coroner Ian Wade delivered a narrative conclusion, ruling that the window had become compromised and was not used appropriately, whilst finding no basis to issue a report to prevent future deaths.
- Aalim’s mother, Sahra Osman, told the court the death was preventable, stating she had repeatedly submitted complaints to Newham Council regarding faulty window restrictors prior to the incident.
- Conflicting evidence was presented during the inquest, as council engineers maintained the window fittings were fully functional during earlier inspections, whereas police video footage showed the restrictor failing to engage consistently.
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