Overview
- A jury inquest opened at Leicester Coroner’s Court and is scheduled to run for five days.
- The coroner described very high, fast-flowing water from recent flooding and a bridge with unclear pedestrian edges and no flood-risk signage.
- Aunt Nicole Maruziva testified she jumped into the water to reach Xielo, was swept under by the current, and could not swim; his father also entered the river and later suffered hypothermia.
- Detective Inspector Kevin Hames said police obtained only limited CCTV snapshots and confirmed the child entered the water at about 5pm on February 18, 2024.
- Specialist teams, including Specialist Group International, joined extensive searches before the boy’s body was recovered on June 6, as his parents delivered emotional statements to the court.