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| Police find no evidence schoolboy who killed himself was bullied | Police find no evidence schoolboy who killed himself was bullied |
| (4 months later) | |
| Inquest hears Asad Khan’s family had voiced concerns that the 11-year-old had suffered bullying at his school in Bradford | |
| Josh Halliday North of England correspondent and agencies | |
| Mon 16 Oct 2017 14.53 BST | |
| Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 15.22 GMT | |
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| Police investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy who was found hanged have discovered no evidence that he was being bullied, despite his parents’ concerns, an inquest has heard. | Police investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy who was found hanged have discovered no evidence that he was being bullied, despite his parents’ concerns, an inquest has heard. |
| Asad Khan was found dead by his mother in his bedroom weeks after he started secondary school on 28 September 2016. | Asad Khan was found dead by his mother in his bedroom weeks after he started secondary school on 28 September 2016. |
| His family had raised concerns about him being bullied and said there was a choking game being played at Beckfoot Upper Heaton school in Bradford. | His family had raised concerns about him being bullied and said there was a choking game being played at Beckfoot Upper Heaton school in Bradford. |
| Relatives said he had been doing other pupils’ homework for payment and had told his mother, Farheen Khan, hours before he died that he wanted to change schools. | Relatives said he had been doing other pupils’ homework for payment and had told his mother, Farheen Khan, hours before he died that he wanted to change schools. |
| However, an inquest at Bradford coroner’s court on Monday heard police had found no direct evidence that Asad was being bullied. | However, an inquest at Bradford coroner’s court on Monday heard police had found no direct evidence that Asad was being bullied. |
| DS Matthew Holdsworth from West Yorkshire police told the court: “There’s no evidence to suggest that Asad was being bullied. Several children said they’d initially seen Asad being bullied. When spoken to again, the actions changed and were disproved by other lines of inquiry.” | DS Matthew Holdsworth from West Yorkshire police told the court: “There’s no evidence to suggest that Asad was being bullied. Several children said they’d initially seen Asad being bullied. When spoken to again, the actions changed and were disproved by other lines of inquiry.” |
| Holdsworth explained how officers had looked at three days’ of CCTV footage and a number of children at the school had been interviewed. | Holdsworth explained how officers had looked at three days’ of CCTV footage and a number of children at the school had been interviewed. |
| He was asked by the coroner, Martin Fleming, about a video on the internet that, it had been suggested, showed two boys being forced to kiss by an older child. The officer said his inquiries showed neither of the boys was Asad. | He was asked by the coroner, Martin Fleming, about a video on the internet that, it had been suggested, showed two boys being forced to kiss by an older child. The officer said his inquiries showed neither of the boys was Asad. |
| Concerns that Asad had been physically pushed by another schoolboy were also discounted by CCTV evidence, the detective said. He added that there was no direct evidence Asad had been completing other pupils’ homework. | Concerns that Asad had been physically pushed by another schoolboy were also discounted by CCTV evidence, the detective said. He added that there was no direct evidence Asad had been completing other pupils’ homework. |
| Holdsworth described an interview with another boy who said Asad had told him he was being bullied as the pair finished a class at their mosque the day before his death. | Holdsworth described an interview with another boy who said Asad had told him he was being bullied as the pair finished a class at their mosque the day before his death. |
| The boy told the police that Asad appeared to be sad. “I asked him what’s wrong and he goes, he’s been bullied. I asked him by who, and he never answered. He just walked off,” the boy said. “I could see a couple of tears and they were coming out of his eyes. And his lips were going down.” | The boy told the police that Asad appeared to be sad. “I asked him what’s wrong and he goes, he’s been bullied. I asked him by who, and he never answered. He just walked off,” the boy said. “I could see a couple of tears and they were coming out of his eyes. And his lips were going down.” |
| But the inquest heard that the teacher at the mosque, who is due to give evidence, will say Asad did not leave in the way described by the boy and, instead, waited for his little brother after his class. | But the inquest heard that the teacher at the mosque, who is due to give evidence, will say Asad did not leave in the way described by the boy and, instead, waited for his little brother after his class. |
| Neither Asad’s family nor their legal representative were in court for the start of the inquest, following a dispute with the coroner at a pre-inquest review in August. | Neither Asad’s family nor their legal representative were in court for the start of the inquest, following a dispute with the coroner at a pre-inquest review in August. |
| The family walked out of the earlier hearing over concerns about what evidence the coroner would consider at the full inquest. | The family walked out of the earlier hearing over concerns about what evidence the coroner would consider at the full inquest. |
| The inquest heard in statements from Asad’s family that he had only just moved to the secondary school and was one of three children there from his primary school. | The inquest heard in statements from Asad’s family that he had only just moved to the secondary school and was one of three children there from his primary school. |
| It was his fifth choice of school, the family said, and they had been concerned before he went there because they had heard that it was notorious for bullying. | It was his fifth choice of school, the family said, and they had been concerned before he went there because they had heard that it was notorious for bullying. |
| In a statement issued at the end of the hearing, a family spokeswoman said they believed the inquest was heading in the wrong direction. | In a statement issued at the end of the hearing, a family spokeswoman said they believed the inquest was heading in the wrong direction. |
| “The family are very disappointed,” said Fatima Patel. “At the last pre-inquest review, it was reported the coroner was going to write to invite them to attend, but this sadly hasn’t happened. | “The family are very disappointed,” said Fatima Patel. “At the last pre-inquest review, it was reported the coroner was going to write to invite them to attend, but this sadly hasn’t happened. |
| “If he would have written to the family, they say they would be obligated as law-abiding citizens to appear as witnesses. They believe the whole inquiry has gone in the wrong direction. The key witnesses have been disregarded by the coroner. | “If he would have written to the family, they say they would be obligated as law-abiding citizens to appear as witnesses. They believe the whole inquiry has gone in the wrong direction. The key witnesses have been disregarded by the coroner. |
| “The coroner refers to the inquest as a limited-scope inquiry, but when the coroner doesn’t want to hear what happened, what is the point in them attending?” | “The coroner refers to the inquest as a limited-scope inquiry, but when the coroner doesn’t want to hear what happened, what is the point in them attending?” |
| The inquest continues. | The inquest continues. |
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