'We just want the truth on how Yusuf has died': Inquest into five-year-old's death delayed
A family have shared their disappointment after a long-awaited inquest into a young boy’s death has been further delayed.
“It’s really, really disappointing for the family,” uncle Zaheer Ahmed said outside of Sheffield Medico Legal Centre.
The family had shown up en masse expecting to finally get answers as to why five-year-old Yusuf Mahmud Nazir died in November 2022.
However, after a number of hours in court, assistant coroner Rebecca Connell announced that proceedings would be adjourned to allow for further tests.
“It’s disappointing for the family for everybody to leave things to the last minute and being told now that they need further tests for Yuusuf,” Zaheer added.
“It all should have realistically been done when Yusuf unfortunately passed away. Now, nearly four years down the line they’re wanting to do tests and see if Yusuf had any genetic conditions, any genetic conditions, if he was allergic to any sort of medication - it’s just too late to do.
“But we are thankful to the coroner to raise this query about genetic testing - if it’s going to give us any answers, if it’s going to be closer to the answers that we want on how Yusuf has died, it is what we want.
“We just want the truth, whatever it takes, we just want the truth on how Yusuf has died.”
Yusuf passed away on November 23, 2022, at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
He had begun presenting ill just over a week prior, and family took him to their GP on November 15.
He was diagnosed with tonsillitis, however as his condition worsened over the following days family felt the need to call for an ambulance and the young boy was taken to Rotherham Hospital, and later moving to Sheffield.
Previously, there have been two reviews into the events leading up to Yusuf’s death, with the family receiving support from Rotherham MP Sarah Champion - who attended court this afternoon - and Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Nevertheless, it was only last week that the possibility of testing blood samples taken from Yusuf when he was a baby was presented to the coroner’s court.
In a report from July last year, the possibility of Yusuf suffering from a genetic condition that affected how he responded to infections was raised - though it was not believed possible to test for it.
“I just want to pay tribute to this amazing family, to Zaheer and Sonya, and all of the others who have fought for three and a half years and are continuing to fight onwards,” Adam Wagner KC, who represents Yusuf’s family, said after today’s hearing.
“They’ve been taken down a lot of different roads and they’re being taken down another one now, but I know from knowing them and from knowing them all throughout that time that they won’t stop until [no] stone is left unturned - and we’ll be standing behind them.
“It is unusual - I’ve done lots of inquests and there are often last minute twists and turns, but it is unusual.
“But the family will keep going with this process until they get to the truth.”
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