Victoria Station CCTV reveals platform worker Belly Mujinga, 47, was ‘NOT spat on’ by passenger before she died of Covid, inquest hears
- Govia Thameslink Railway worker Belly Mujinga, 47, died from Covid in April
- Mother-of-one died after she was allegedly ‘spat on’ by man at Victoria station
- But a review of CCTV and interviews with staff found ‘no spitting took place’
- BTP interviewed man at the centre of the claims, who did not have coronavirus
An investigation into the death of a railway worker who died from coronavirus amid fears she was ‘spat on’ by a commuter, has found no such incident took place.
Belly Mujinga passed away in April, weeks after she was allegedly spat on by a man claiming to have Covid-19 as she worked a shift as a ticket officer at London Victoria.
After reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing 10 staff members working on the day, Mrs Mujinga’s employee Govia Thameslink Railway (GSR) has concluded no spitting incident took place.
Neither mother-of-one Mrs Mujinga, 47, nor any of her colleagues made a complaint about spitting on March 21, the report said.
But no staff were given any protective equipment because, ‘there was no advice in place suggesting face coverings or masks should be worn’ at the time of the incident which took place prior to the wider lockdown, GSR said.
Belly Mujinga passed away in April, weeks after she was allegedly spat on by a man claiming to have Covid-19 as she worked a shift as a ticket officer at London Victoria
Mrs Mujinga was admitted to hospital in Barnet less than two weeks after the incident on March 21 and placed on a ventilator, but died on April 5.
In a tribute GSR said Mrs Mujinga was a, ‘dedicated and valued colleague and as a member of society, sought to help those most in need.’
Friends and well-wishers raised more than £230,000 online to support Mrs Mujinga’s husband Lusamba Gode Katalay and her 11-year-old daughter, Ingrid.
Having covered the cost of her funeral, the bulk of the donations are now going towards supporting her daughter.
British Transport Police launched an inquiry in May, after news of the incident broke, and later interviewed a 57-year-old man.
Despite reviewing witness statements and CCTV footage, BTP said there was not enough evidence that a crime had taken place.
In August, that conclusion was echoed by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Friends and well-wishers raised more than £230,000 online to support Mrs Mujinga’s husband Lusamba Gode Katalay and her 11-year-old daughter
Govia Thameslink Railway CEO Patrick Verwer said: ‘Belly’s story continues to move us all, and we are heartbroken by her loss. At work, she was a dedicated and valued colleague and as a member of society, she sought to help those most in need.
‘This has been an incredibly difficult period for Belly’s husband and young daughter. In talking to them we learned that we should have supported them better.
‘For this reason, a key outcome of our internal investigation is to improve the support we give to families of an employee who has passed away. Additionally, we are creating a taskforce to review our approach to employee health across the business.
British Transport Police (BTP) interviewed a 57-year-old man but said the incident did not lead to the worker’s death
More than one million people signed a petition launched in support of Ms Mujinga, which ‘sought justice for her family.’
Ms Mujinga’s husband thanked those who signed, saying the family had been on a ‘rollercoaster of emotions’.
Speaking in June, he said: ‘Thousands of people protested in London to cry it loud that black lives matter. Black lives do matter. Belly’s life mattered.
‘It mattered to me, to our daughter, our friends and family, to Belly’s colleagues, and now it matters to many thousands of you out there.
‘We were there, united in our anger and our grief. United in our determination to be heard and in our determination to get change. We want justice for Belly.’