Keypoints:
- Campaign demands new inquest after 35 years
- Family alleges police misconduct and cover-up
- Legal bid launched for High Court hearing
THE family of Mogous Abay, a young Ethiopian man who died under mysterious circumstances in London 35 years ago, is taking its fight for justice to the High Court. The renewed campaign follows decades of unanswered questions and allegations of a flawed police investigation that failed to examine the possibility of foul play.
Mogous, aged 27, was found dead in 1990 in the courtyard below his fourth-floor flat near Tottenham Court Road. An inquest held that year returned an open verdict. But his brother, Alem Abay, founder of the Justice for Mogous campaign, has always maintained that key evidence was ignored and the investigation rushed.
Allegations of police neglect and missing evidence
‘The hearing lasted no more than 15 minutes, and the only witnesses were the police,’ Alem told supporters at a memorial event marking the anniversary of his brother’s death on June 29 at Holy Cross Church, King’s Cross. ‘I was alone, traumatised, and unable to challenge the process at the time.’
Now, after decades of campaigning, Alem is preparing to file for a judicial review at the High Court. Back in 1993, he had attempted to pursue legal action but was blocked when legal aid was withdrawn. With new legal backing and a public fundraising effort underway, the campaign hopes to finally reopen the inquest.
The original police investigation has long been a source of controversy. According to the family, authorities failed to take fingerprints from the window where Mogous allegedly fell and destroyed the clothing he was wearing—critical pieces of forensic evidence. Witnesses from the scene, including neighbours and the building caretaker, were never called to testify, despite giving statements that contradicted police accounts.
Pathologist’s report disputed by campaign
At the time, the Coroner accepted police testimony that Mogous had been found lying in a pool of blood. But according to legal notes prepared during the 1993 review application, both the caretaker and another resident said there was no blood at the scene. Further contradictions emerged between the findings of the pathologist and the doctor who certified Mogous’ death.
The family’s former solicitor, Lincoln Crawford, argued in a written submission that the inquest was so compromised that it could not be considered fair. ‘There is a real possibility that a different verdict would be returned if there were a proper inquiry into the deceased’s death,’ he concluded.
Faith and community rally behind the Abay family
At the memorial service, Fr Christopher Cawrse of Holy Cross Church said: ‘It is my great privilege as parish priest to give over this church to sustain Alem and his brother in prayer as a way of expressing our solidarity. This is not simply to resurrect the past, but to pray for justice.’
Mogous, a promising science student at the City of London Polytechnic and an assistant librarian at SOAS, had fled political persecution in Ethiopia’s Tigray region alongside Alem in the late 1970s. They sought asylum in the UK after first taking refuge in Sudan. He was said to be intelligent, politically articulate and widely respected by peers.
‘He could have been a leader, a scientist,’ Alem said. ‘But his life was cut short—and no one ever asked why.’
Past efforts fell short, but hope remains
The Justice for Mogous campaign previously delivered a petition of nearly 12,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street in 2017 and secured an inquiry into the case by the Greater London Authority in 2021. However, neither initiative yielded meaningful progress.
Now, with public pressure mounting and renewed media attention, Alem and his supporters are determined not to give up. ‘Despite the 35 years that have passed, we will never stop fighting for the truth,’ he said.
This renewed legal bid offers what may be a final opportunity to uncover what really happened on that tragic day in 1990—and bring some closure to a family that has waited far too long.
