Boy, five, died after jumping from 'compromised' 15th-floor window because 'he believed he could fly', inquest rules

Published: 20:21, 24 August 2026 | Updated: 20:22, 24 August 2026 A five-year-old boy died after jumping from a 15th-floor tower block window, believing he could fly, an inquest has ruled. Aalim Ahmed plunged to his death when he fell from a kitchen window at a residential block in Plaistow, east London. The window had become 'compromised' and could tilt and turn, allowing the autistic boy to open it and climb out. His devastated father, Makail Ahmed, rushed from the top-floor temporary social housing flat and discovered his body shortly before 6am on May 16, 2024. Mother Sahra Osman had reported safety concerns about the flat on multiple occasions. She blamed Newham Council for her son's death, saying it was 'preventable'. The inquest heard contrasting accounts about the condition of the windows.  An engineer sent by Newham Council to carry out an inspection and look at overhauling the windows and handles said they were functioning when he saw them on December 17, 2023. The window had become 'compromised' and could tilt and turn, allowing the boy to open it and climb out The kitchen at a residential block in Plaistow, east London, where five-year-old Aalim Ahmed fell to his death The child's mother complained that the windows opened too wide and she did not have a key to lock them In contrast, Ms Osman had a list of complaints spanning several months, which included her fears the windows were opening too wide and she did not have a key, the court also heard. Assistant Coroner Ian Wade, sitting at East London Coroner's Court, said the windows 'were not used appropriately'. In a narrative conclusion on Monday, Mr Wade said Aalim's autism diagnosis made him 'incapable of making reliable judgments about his personal safety and abilities'.  He added: 'In the early hours of May 16 2024, he awoke and went from his bedroom to the kitchen, he climbed onto a chair and then onto the windowsill of an insecure double turn and tilt window. 'He opened the window and in a naïve belief that he could fly or alternatively could come to no harm he leapt from the open window… he died at the scene.' Mr Wade said he did not find a basis for issuing a report to prevent future deaths, adding: 'I find there was no compelling reason why a landlord should've considered that placing this little boy on the 15th floor was inappropriate.' He said: 'It wasn't the fact that it was the 15th floor that was significant, what was significant was that the windows had become compromised.' John Gray, cabinet member for housing, Newham Council, said: 'This was a tragic accident which resulted in the heartbreaking death of a young five-year-old child.  'Our thoughts continue to be with Aalim's family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.  'We are grateful to the coroner Ian Wade KC for his thorough and fair hearing of the facts of this case, which have at times been very difficult to hear and revisit.'