On the 27th June, five hours after she was reported missing, Shukri Yahye-Abdi’s body was discovered in the River Irwell in Bury. Police claim that it was due to a tragic accident, which saw her drown in the deep waters as she went into the river to cool off.
Shukri was a young refugee who fled Somalia and arrived in England with her mother, Zamzam Ture and siblings around two years ago. She was described by her cousin as a “sweet innocent girl” who “made everyone around her happy.” He claims that the school were aware of the fact Shukri was being bullied, and her mother was in the process of removing her from the school because of it. Campaigners and Shukri’s own mother, claim that her death was a suspicious incident, as she did not know how to swim and was being bullied.
Detective Inspector Andrew Naismith declared, however, that the claims of bullying “doesn’t match” the police investigation and “there is nothing to suggest there is anything related to third-party involvement or bullying or coercion in relation to getting Shukri down to the river.”