THE mother and stepfather of a seven-year-old girl who allegedly starved to death at her home are to appear in court on further child cruelty charges, the Crown Prosecution Service said today.

Angela Gordon and her partner Junaid Abuhamza appeared in court in May charged with causing or allowing the death of Khyra Ishaq, who was found dead in her home in Handsworth, Birmingham, on May 17.

The pair will appear before magistrates in Birmingham next Tuesday to face five joint charges of cruelty to a person under 16 years of age.

Hayley Firman, Assistant District Crown Prosecutor for Birmingham, said: Junaid Abuhamza and Angela Gordon have previously been charged with causing or allowing the death of Khyra Ishaq.


Cruelty

The available evidence has been considered and it has been decided that there is sufficient evidence to charge the two defendants with the five additional charges of cruelty, one each in relation to the remaining children of the household.

Khyra was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital from the family home in the early hours of May 17.

Gordon, 33, and Abuhamza, 29, both appeared in court via video link on May 28.

The pair, who lived together with Khyra and her five siblings in Leyton Road, Handsworth, are charged with causing or allowing her death contrary to Section 5 of the 2004 Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act.

The new charges are brought under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Perry Barr, Birmingham, told reporters that Khyra and her siblings were removed from school by their mother following claims of bullying in the weeks before Khyra was found.


Following the youngsters death, the Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board launched a serious case review.

Such an inquiry is launched when abuse or neglect is known or suspected to be a factor in a childs death, Birmingham City Council said.

An inquest into Khyras death was opened and adjourned last month.