Heartrending Inquest Into Tragedy of Young Semina Halliwell Concludes

A summary of evidence heard during the inquest into the tragic death of 12-year-old Semina Halliwell in Southport in 2021 at Bootle Town Hall.

All the evidence has now concluded and no more witnesses will be called.

Ms Halliwell was invited to read to the coroner’s court a pen portrait about Semina.

She said Semina was a little girl who was loved and cherished. She had been close with her brother and they had been inseparable and at times ‘like twins’.

She said Semina had a magnetic personality, was chatty and bubbly and spoke at 100mph. She said loved singing and dancing and recording videos on her mum’s phone.

She said she was very funny and quick witted but had no filter and an infectious laugh. She said she was a very creative little girl with an incredibly generous nature.

Ms Halliwell said Semina was an innocent and childlike 12-year-old who would still play with her toys and was very suggestable, would not question things and would often copy other people around her.

In the summer of 2020, when she started receiving messages on social media, she said Semina completely changed in her personality and had became depressed and withdrawn.

She said Semina would not open up and started to self-harm and make herself sick after eating and would often minimise things when people spoke to her.

Ms Halliwell said in June 2021 Semina had understood what she had down when she took the medication and had ‘wanted it all to go away’.

She said losing Semina was devastating and she had been left empty and broken.

She said ‘it feels so senseless, it could easily have been prevented. She did not need to die. She should still be here with us.”

The coroner asked for a two-minute silence in the court of respect for Semina.

Following the pen portrait the assistant coroner indicated that a significant number of factors will be taken into account when coming to a verdict including legal submissions from counsel for the family, Merseyside Police, Stanley High School, Sefton Council and Alder Hey/Merseycare who all addressed whether Article 2 had been engaged.

Article 2 imposes an obligation to put in place precautions and procedures which will, to the greatest extent reasonably practicable, protect life. This includes a duty to put in place systems of working and have in place systems which will detect and remedy individual failings and errors before harm is done.

Counsel for Merseyside Police, Stanley High School, Sefton Council and Alder Hey/Merseycare said they did not believe there was evidence to suggest knowledge of a real and immediate risk to life.

Miss Johnson representing the Halliwell family highlighted whether the factors attributed to Semina’s case -  including the allegation of rape, the sharing of indecent images, her sexual contact with another boy, the physical assaults and the attendance at the family’s home of the father and brother of her alleged attacker taken cumulatively was of a real and serious risk to Semina’s life.

The inquest has now been adjourned until a late date to be confirmed by the assistant coroner.