Christopher Kapessa: Boy, 13, drowned after being deliberately pushed into river in ‘prank’, inquest finds

A 13-year-old boy died after being deliberately pushed into a river in a “dangerous prank” in south Wales in July 2019, a coroner has found.

Christopher Kapessa, described as “loving, caring, passionate and very protective” by his family, died after entering the River Cynon in Fernhill in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, on 1 July 2019.

Calling the incident a “misplaced sense of fun”, assistant coroner David Regan ruled the teenager did not consent to be pushed in, as he gave his findings in a narrative conclusion at the inquest into the boy’s death on Monday.

Describing her son as “always thoughtful, sensitive, full of hope” the mother of Christopher Kapessa, Alina Joseph, said her son was “unlawfully killed” and criticised South Wales Police