Girl Died After Being Trapped By Automatic Gate
08/07/2010
Police have bailed two men arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence over the death of a girl crushed by an electronic gate.
Semelia Campbell, aged six, died when the gate closed on her while she was playing close to her home in Manchester.
Greater Manchester Police are investigating the incident with the Health and Safety Executive.
The men, both 38, have been bailed pending further enquiries.
The girl's mother, Judith Gilroy, was among the first on the scene and tried in vain to free her daughter who was pinned against a brick post.
Ms Gilroy, 41, said she tried pressing the electronic button to open the gate, and also tried to use a remote control, but neither worked.
"This should never have happened," she said. "The gates are chained up now but they were not secured last night. We tried everything we could to free her.
"She was my whole life, I don't know how I will go on without her. I'm just angry and devastated, really. The gate was not finished, it shouldn't have happened."
The schoolgirl was playing with her friend Jadon Skeritt, also aged six, near the gate when she became trapped.
She was rushed to Manchester Royal Infirmary but died from her injuries a short time later.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
Jonathan Betts, a partner at law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: “We await the outcome of the HSE & police investigations and hope lessons are learnt from this tragic case that prevent any other family from suffering such a huge loss.”
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