A 13-year-old boy died after being deliberately pushed into a river in a "dangerous prank", a coroner has ruled.
Christopher Kapessa drowned after getting into difficulty in the River Cynon near Fernhill, Rhondda Cynon Taf, in July 2019.
Coroner David Regan said evidence from Jayden Pugh, who said that he had slipped and fallen into Christopher, was "untrue".
He said Christopher was pushed by Mr Pugh, now 19, as a "prank".
Christopher's mother Alina Joseph said in a statement he would always be remembered for bringing "immense joy and happiness, to me and everyone he met".
Four witnesses told the inquest in Pontypridd that Mr Pugh, then aged 14, had pushed Christopher from a ledge into the water, after saying words to the effect of "shall I push him in".
Mr Regan said there had also been "no clear or general understanding as to Christopher's ability to swim" among his friends before they went to the river that day.
Christopher fell 2.5m (8ft) from the ledge into the river, into water that was 2.5m deep, and said he was likely to have suffered from cold water shock, which would have led to the involuntary ingestion of water, the coroner said.
Other children, including Mr Pugh, jumped in and tried to rescue him, but Christopher disappeared below the surface at about 17:30 BST.
Emergency services attended and Christopher was recovered from the water at almost two hours later at 19:25.
He was later declared dead at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil.
Mr Regan said there was "no evidence that Christopher's death was caused by any racially motivated action" and that there was no "evidence of animosity" between any of the children, who all spoke of Christopher as a friend.
He said the actions of children who jumped into the river were "very courageous".
Mr Regan recorded a narrative conclusion at the end of the inquest, saying: "Christopher Kapessa, aged 13, died by submersion when initially pushed by another child into the River Cynon.
"The push was a dangerous prank. However, the child responsible did not intend to cause Christopher's death and himself jumped into the water, with other children, as an unsuccessful attempt at rescue."
Concluding the inquest, Mr Regan gave his condolences to Christopher's family, wishing them "all the best for the future" adding that he was "very sorry" for their loss.
'Institutional racist practices'
Speaking after the inquest, Ms Joseph said: "Today I remember my Christopher, I cherish the memories of my son who was an incredible young boy, brother to his siblings and a beloved member of my family.
"He will always be remembered for bringing immense joy and happiness, to me and everyone he met, despite his age he was always thoughtful."
She said Christopher would have turned 18 this month and added it was difficult watching other children do normal things that Christopher would not be able to do.
"I wonder every day what he would look like now - he only image I have of him is at the age of 13 - and what he would have been doing.
"He would still be cheeky and making us all laugh," she said.
Ms Joseph said she was "haunted by the injustice" her family endured throughout the police investigation into Christopher's death, adding they had "already made their decisions about what had happened to Christopher".
She said she was a victim of the "institutional racist practices of South Wales Police", adding that police had closed their investigation within 24 hours and did not investigate racism suffered by Christopher and the family.
South Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable Danny Richards said the force had referred its initial investigation to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
"We hope that this independent scrutiny and the outcome of the inquest proceedings will give us a greater understanding of the issues which have been raised about this case," he added.
The IOPC said it upheld one complaint in its investigation, which centred around another meeting between Christopher's family and South Wales Police.
The meeting descended into a disagreement when Christopher's family voiced repeated concerns about possible racism by the force.
"We considered that a police officer's approach at that meeting was ill-judged and insensitive," the IOPC said.
There would, however, not be disciplinary action, it said, but additional training on dealing with bereaved families, equality and diversity, and unconscious bias for the officer involved.
The family's solicitor, Daniel Cooper, said Christopher's death had caused "unimaginable trauma" for his family, distress and anxiety for the community in and around Wales, and had raised "issues of significant public interest".
"The coroner's findings were clear and unambiguous, Christopher was deliberately and intentionally pushed in the back from behind," he said.
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2024-01-22 15:57:41Z
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