Police 'stood by and watched illegal street racers' before one killed schoolgirl, 16

Dhiya Al-Maamoury, from Iraq, was 54 years old at the time and lost control of his car on the A457 in Sandwell, showing off to people who had gathered to watch.Liberty and Ben were not part of the crowd but were hit when the car mounted the pavement.Al-Maamoury was jailed in November 2024 and sentenced to 13-and-a-half years in prison.Liberty’s mother, Tracy Challis, has spoken exclusively to GB News about the way she has been treated by Britain’s justice system in the aftermath of her daughter’s death. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Ms Challis said the failures started with West Midlands Police before the crash had happened.That night, police had received calls about the cars racing each other from the public at around 9.30pm. They attended and were monitoring the event” as part of “Operation Hercules, the region’s initiative to stop illegal street racing.But for another two hours, it was allowed to carry on, with an officer later telling Tracy it would’ve taken 30 people to stop the cars.Ms Challis told GB News: “To me, they've enabled that event, being there and not stopping it, but letting it continue, they're part of the reason why my daughter has been killed.”The crash happened at around 11.30pm, and it was just after 1am when Tracy was told of her daughter’s death.However, what she was told by officers, and what she later found out to be the truth, were two different things.She said: “During sentencing, there was a statement from the first officer that got to the scene.“We had got one little element of peace, so to speak, from the fact we were told from the start she was killed on impact and didn't receive any medical intervention.“Then we found out in court, in front of everybody, in front of the the guy that had killed my daughter, that she was breathing when the police got there.“If they had come two weeks later and said: ‘This is what you were told, but what we have found out since is that this happened and this happened,’ then that would have been a different story.“We thought that she hadn't suffered, and now we don't know.”READ MORE ON WEST MIDLANDS POLICE:West Midlands Police plunged into fresh crisis as whistleblower shares dossier of 'institutional antisemitism' after Israeli fan ban rowDisgraced West Midlands Police chief retires after Israeli fan ban rowPolice appear to ADMIT to 'two-tier policing' after listening to requests from community to keep distance from protestThe street racing, and consequently the incident, was filmed and posted to social media.Tracy says she suffers from visions caused by the stress of knowing videos of her daughter were published online after the crash.She told GB News: “She was videoed, with people laughing and commentating over the top.“It was put straight on Snapchat and when I asked the question [to the police] about what could be done about these people filming I was told: ‘Nothing can be done because the dead have no human rights.'“How can that be? That cannot be allowed to happen to anybody. It’s inhuman.”There is already a law which makes it an offence to improperly use the public electronic communications network, but there are few prosecutions when it comes to recording the aftermaths of road traffic accidents.After an investigation, GB News found Birmingham’s street racers sharing their reckless driving for likes across the internet.The videos are posted under the banner of ‘Mexico City’, a nickname given to meets and racing in Birmingham and parts of the West Midlands.Posted on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, the videos show dangerous overtakes, speeding in residential areas and stunts endangering other road users.This week, West Midlands Police said Operation Hercules had achieved 100 convictions since January 2025.Sergeant Ade Brown said: “We need motorists to understand that we won’t tolerate illegal street racing or cruising on the region’s roads and will take action against motorists who flout the law and put other road users at risk.Our ultimate aim is to keep people safe. People have been killed and seriously injured while street racing and it’s simply unacceptable to put other motorists and pedestrians at risk in such a reckless way.”Tracy says more direct action, like repeatedly crushing seized cars, would help to act as a deterrent.Family Liaison Officers (FLOs) are assigned to families to support them through the police investigation, but Tracy says the officers provided to her were rude and offered little care.She said: “The day after Liberty died, the first FLO came out to us. He introduced himself by saying his name and saying that we were his 163rd family, and he was looking for another job.“I've been born and brought up to respect the police all my life. That was up until the second FLO took over. We didn't hear from them for seven months.“It’s like they’re just doing a job, and they don’t care who they’re dealing with.”Tracy told GB News she had to deal with offensive comments, incorrect information - and was even told of her daughter’s injuries by email, not face-to-face.In response to all the allegations about West Midlands Police and the conduct of their officers raised by Tracy, a spokesman for the constabulary said: “Our thoughts remain with Liberty’s loved ones after her tragic death in 2022.“We expect the highest standards from our officers at all times and if there is ever any evidence to indicate anyone has acted inappropriately, we will look to take relevant action.”Al-Maamoury appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court in 2024 and pleaded not guilty until the day he was due to face trial.The judge presiding over the case praised his “courage” for changing his plea to guilty.The court heard how the man’s family had left Iraq due to the Gulf War, and that he had been a soldier in the Iraqi army.They had also spent time in the Netherlands before claiming asylum in the UK and gaining British passports.On one occasion during court proceedings, Al-Maamoury was late returning to the dock for the afternoon. It was told to the court that he was late because he was praying.The family raised concerns about the man’s actions with police, and GB News has been given access to a recording of the meeting.Responding to the arguments raised by the family, an officer said: “Let's just say there are certain strands of the community that get given a bit more leash.”GB News approached the Judicial Office, but it said it was unable to comment on this case.More than three-and-a-half years on since her daughter’s death, Tracy has now filed a complaint with the Independent Office for Police Conduct.She told GB News: “I want the truth, and I want to know what happened that night.“No family in the situation that we've been put in should have to deal with not being able to trust the police and not being able to believe a word that comes out of their mouth.”In Dudley, a mural of Liberty has been proudly spray-painted on a wall. It’s a commitment by her family, friends and community that she won’t be forgotten.Tracy said: “You can't imagine how much life changes after something like this. It impacts every part of your life. Every day is hell.“You know that nothing will ever be the same, but I’m so proud of her. She only ever wanted to make people happy.”An IOPC spokesman said: “Following careful assessment of the information received, we decided that an investigation was required and that it was suitable for that to be carried out locally by the force.”West Midlands Police confirmed the complaint was being investigated by their Professional Standards Department and added: “Given this is a current investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”On the two-year wait for justice for Liberty’s family, a Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “This was a terrible crime, and our thoughts remain with the victims’ families.“The Government inherited a record and rising Crown Court caseload, meaning victims and their loved ones face devastating delays resulting from years of neglect. That is why we are pulling every lever at our disposal – pragmatic structural reform, record financial investment and modernisation – to drive down the backlog.” Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter