Mina Smallman: "System is crumbling" after Simon Levy failings

Mina Smallman has expressed deep anger and frustration following the case of Simon Levy, a convicted sex offender who murdered two women and sexually assaulted others. Ms Smallman, whose daughters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman were murdered in June 2020 at Fryent Country Park, Wembley, said the Levy case showed that "the whole system is crumbling" and demanded assurances from Prime Minister Andy Burnham on how women will be kept safe.

Levy was able to commit further offences after a series of what have been described as disastrous decisions by police, prosecutors, and courts left him free to offend. Ms Smallman, who is now a women's safety activist, contacted the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley about the failings. She told the BBC that Sir Mark acknowledged "that the system is broken" and that the failures were not confined to the Met Police, but also involved the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the court system, and the prison system.

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Repeated failings and apologies

Ms Smallman stated she was mystified by how a man with Levy's record could miss court appearances without being apprehended. She believes the problem lies in organisations not collaborating effectively. The Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police, and the CPS have all issued apologies for decisions that allowed Levy to continue offending. Ms Smallman expressed concern that these apologies might feel hollow to the victims' families, including those of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, murdered in March 2025, and Sheryl Wilkins, killed five months later.

She recalled that an apology from Sir Mark Rowley's predecessor, Dame Cressida Dick, regarding her own daughters' case had felt like "a slap in the face". Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, were murdered by Danyal Hussein. Two police officers, Deniz Jaffer and Jamie Lewis, were subsequently jailed in December 2021 for taking and sharing photographs of the victims' bodies on WhatsApp.

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Concerns over victim treatment and future safety

Ms Smallman also raised concerns that the initial police search for her daughters may have been affected by their ethnicity. She accused officers in the Levy case of making assumptions about the lifestyles of vulnerable victims, noting that Valencia-Trujillo's death was not initially treated as a murder. "If that woman had been the daughter of a politician there wouldn't have been any discussion about it," Ms Smallman said. "She was somebody's daughter. And the police and the judicial system, their job is not to decide who matters. Everyone matters."

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police stated that the cause of Valencia-Trujillo's death was inconclusive and there was insufficient evidence to charge Levy at the time. The force acknowledged where it had fallen short. The government has described the Simon Levy case as "horrifying" and stated that the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating, with internal reviews underway. A government spokesperson added that protecting the public is a "top priority" and that rape and serious child sexual abuse offences are already excluded from early release plans.

Looking ahead, Ms Smallman expressed concern about the government's plan to release thousands of offenders early from October 2026 to alleviate prison overcrowding, arguing that those convicted of violence should not be released prematurely. She also called for a more comprehensive approach to tackling misogyny and the radicalisation of young men online, stating that this issue should be treated like terrorism.

What happens next

Ms Smallman wishes to see a coordinated effort between organisations responsible for public safety, stating that a "piecemeal approach" must end. She hopes to facilitate meetings between "passionate change-makers" from various organisations and the Prime Minister. The government has stated that any failures identified in the Levy case must be addressed to prevent repetition and that plans are being fast-tracked to keep dangerous offenders incarcerated.