More than 39,000 people have signed a petition demanding to know what happened to a 21-year-old woman found dead on a beach after police ruled her death was non-suspicious.
Business student Blessing Olusegun, 21, was discovered dead on the seafront in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, in the early hours of the morning on September 18 – with no obvious cause of death.
Police launched a major investigation, collecting CCTV and forensic evidence – but a post-mortem found she had drowned and her death was deemed non-suspicious.
But campaigners say police did not conduct a full investigation into what happened to her, with an online petition calling for ‘justice’ gaining 39,000 signatures.
And her local branch of the TUC said the response was different to that of the Sarah Everard case – claiming racism towards black people in police forces.
Business student Blessing Olusegun, 21, was found dead on the beach in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, in the early hours of the morning on September 18 – with no obvious cause of death
Police launched a major investigation, collecting CCTV and forensic evidence – but a post-mortem found Miss Olusegun had drowned and her death was deemed non-suspicious
Ms Everard, 33, vanished in Clapham, south London, while walking home from a friend’s house on March 3, prompting a massive search.
Her body was later found in a builder’s bag in Kent. Metropolitan Police firearms officer Wayne Couzens, 48, was arrested on suspicion of kidnap and murder.
Police are treating the death of Miss Olusegun in Bexhill as unexplained but not suspicious and the investigation remains ‘open and active’.
A change.org petition demanding ‘justice for Blessing and her family’ says she was a 21-year-old business student from London.
Miss Olusegun was in Bexhill for a one-week placement as a carer for the elderly with dementia and other mental health issues.
The petition reads: ‘Blessing Olusegun was a 21-year-old business student from London.
‘She came to Bexhill on a one-week placement as a carer to help old people with dementia and other mental health issues.
But campaigners say police did not conduct a full investigation into what happened to her, with an online petition (pictured) calling for ‘justice’ gaining 39,000 signatures
And her local branch of the TUC say the response was different to that of the Sarah Everard (pictured) case – claiming discrimination towards black people in police forces
‘She was recently found dead on Bexhill Beach near Galley Hill at 6.20am with her shoes and phone nearby her body and the police are treating it as non suspicious.
‘Her mother Esther Abe is demanding to know why her beautiful daughter died on September 18.
‘We need justice for blessing and her family. What actually happened?’
A fundraiser titled ‘Justice4Blessing’ – which has raised more than £10,000 – said she went for a walk at around 12.30am.
Police are treating the death of Miss Olusegun in Bexhill (near where Miss Olusegun was found, pictured) as unexplained but not suspicious and the investigation remains ‘open and active’
She had sent text messages to a close family friend and her boyfriend asking them to ‘stay on the phone’ with her – but this did not happen.
She then sent a text saying ‘never mind’.
Police said they found her body at 6.20am on September 18 – and found her phone and slippers nearby.
They have looked at phone records, searched her room and monitored local CCTV.
Cameras did not capture anyone with Ms Olusegun on the night she died and a pathologist deemed she drowned with ‘no evidence of violence or any internal or external injuries’.
Lewisham TUC president Cheryl McLeod told BBC News: ‘We mourn Sarah Everard…
‘However, there is another death within our community, who like Sarah, was a woman who was walking alone.’
Sussex Police Detective Inspector Pippa Nicklin said: ‘It has been reported that we have not properly investigated Blessing’s death because of her ethnicity and we strongly refute these claims.’
‘I have spoken with Blessing’s mother and explained we remain absolutely committed to finding out the facts of what happened to Blessing.’