Detectives investigating the death of an 18-year-old student have said there is no information to suggest the attack was motivated by hate. Mariam Moustafa was left in a coma after a street assault at about 8pm on February 20 before she was pronounced dead almost a month later.
The teenager was allegedly punched several times during a confrontation with a group of women in Parliament Street, Nottingham, before she was later taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre in the city. She was then transferred to Nottingham City Hospital but died on Wednesday. The teenager got on a bus at the scene near the Victoria Centre shopping precinct but was followed by the same group, who it is claimed were then threatening and abusive towards her.
Nottinghamshire Police have said they are aware of social media posts claiming the attack was motivated by hate and are ‘keeping an open mind’. A Home Office post-mortem examination is due to take place.
A 17-year-old girl arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm was bailed pending further investigation following the incident. A statement from the force said: ‘We would like to reassure the community that we are treating this incident very seriously and we are working hard to establish the circumstances. ‘We are also giving support to Mariam’s family at this very difficult time.’
Her uncle Amr ElHariry, 46, said two of the girls had attacked Mariam and her sister Malak, 16, four months prior to the assault which left her dead. He claimed her parents Nisreen, 41 and Mohamed, 49, had reported the incident to police but nothing was done. The businessman said he believed his niece would still be alive today had detectives investigated the original attack. Speaking from Cairo, Egypt, he said: ‘Two of the girls had actually attacked Mariam and Malak four months ago and broke Malak’s leg. ‘Their parents went to the police who just filed the complaint and that was all – that was a warning, they should’ve acted. ‘The second time she was walking down the street when these girls shouted at her, they called her ‘black rose’ and Mariam said that wasn’t her name.
‘They started to beat her, kicking and punching her all over, she ran away but they chased after her. She didn’t even know these girls. ‘Mariam got a bus and ran on, and told the bus driver to not let them on because they were beating her but he said he couldn’t do that. ‘They chased her to the top floor and continued to beat her, a man tried to stop them buy standing the middle of them. ‘But they continued to batter her until she lost consciousness that is when the bus driver acted, he called an ambulance for her. ‘I don’t understand why he didn’t help her from the start and why just one person stepped in to intervene. Its disgraceful really. ‘It was around 9pm when she was taken to the hospital and was checked over but at 2am they said she could go. ‘Mariam said she didn’t want to, she said she didn’t feel well and was still in pain – but she eventually agreed and they went home. ‘The next day her sister Malak tried to wake her in the morning at 7am but saw that her body had turned blue with the bruises. ‘Malak called an ambulance straight away and she was taken to hospital and put in a coma for 12 days. ‘We are angry that the hospital discharged her in the first place and weren’t able to spot she had a bleed on the brain. ‘Her parents went to the police and asked for camera footage from the street, but the police said the cameras didn’t work. ‘We’ve still not heard anything back from the police which we don’t think is acceptable. ‘What is even worse is the girls actually filmed themselves beating Mariam, how can they do this? They are like animals. ‘The police have been slow, we have asked for information from them and the hospital but we have got nothing back.
‘A friend of Malak showed her the footage of Mariam being beaten and we showed the police who did nothing again. ‘Whilst Mariam was lying in that hospital bed after nine operations, the girls who did it were taking selfies on Instagram and enjoying life. ‘This could have all been prevented, it is just really shocking and we are all devastated.’
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