Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman

Bibaa Henry (1974-2020) and Nicole Smallman (1993-2020) were two sisters who were murdered on the 6 June 2020 just hours after the former’s birthday was celebrated. Their killer, Danyal Hussein, was not known to either sisters and targeted them to fulfill a ‘pact with a demon’. After the family grew concerned about their disappearance, they contacted the police. However, according to the mother of the sisters, Rev. Mina Smallman, the police were very negligent in investigating their disappearance, leaving family and friends to look for them themselves. Rev. Smallman believes the reason for this was that they were black and working-class.

Bibaa Henry lived in Brent and worked as a social worker for Buckinghamshire Council. Her father was Herman Henry, a former ABA featherweight champion. Bibaa was known to her colleagues as “a lovely woman who was both serious and fun”, a fierce adovcate of safeguarding children and at-risk families. She would drive children with disabilities to their activities, and sing to them to make it a merry journey.

Nicole Smallman lived in Harrow, and was a freelance photographer who graduated from the University of Westminster. She had a passion for the arts, would make documentaries, sing and act. Her friends described her as “a joy to be around”. Nicole also had a passion for humanitarian and environmental causes. Her parents Christopher and Mina, described her as “a child from the 60s”, beautiful within and out.

Their mother, Mina Smallman – worked as a receptionist, teacher, an assistant principal, and later went into the priesthood. She became the first black female archdeacon for the Church of England, serving as Archdeacon for Southend between 2013 and 2016.

To celebrate Bibaa’s 46th birthday consistent with COVID-19 regulations, the sisters and their friends went to Fryent County Park in Wembley. One of the last photos shows them frolicking with fairy lights in the park. It was moments before they would be attacked, and eventually killed.

When neither of the sisters returned home from the park, Ms. Henry’s friend – Nina Esmat; and Ms. Smallman’s boyfriend, Adam Stone, both became worried. When the phone calls received no response, Mr. Stone contacted the police. He claims that a different person spoke to him every instance he did this. Mr. Stone and Ms. Esmat then resolved to take up searching for Bibba and Nicole themselves – the former with his parents, while the mother of the sisters tried contacting the police again to get them to follow up on when they would initiate the search, and follow up on the attendees of the party.

Agonising hours were spent searching in the park, until Nina Esmat discovered Bibaa’s sunglasses. She feared the worst, and called the police, who told her to take them to the police station. Adam Stone and his father found shoes and a knife respectively in an undergrowth. Upon taking a futher look, Mr. Stone had found his girlfriend and her sister. He screamed and wept upon the sight of their lifeless bodies. Ms. Henry had been stabbed eight times, while Ms. Smallman was stabbed 28 times trying to defend herself.

They were killed by Danyal Hussain, a teenager whose motive for killing them was to fulfill a pact with a demon called “King Lucifuge Rocofale” to reward him with a £321million lottery jackpot if he killed six women every six months. Hussain was referred to the Prevent programme for deradicalisation when he was 15 when he communicated with others online displaying an interest in the far-right and Norse mythology.

Adding to the sense of contempt by police, two police officers were found to have taken selfies with the bodies of Ms Henry and Ms Smallman, and shared them on WhatsApp. The officers were charged with misconduct and an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found six more officers under investigation for not reporting and challenging the act.

Danyal Hussain was arrested and charged with two counts of murder on 30th June 2020, appeared before the Old Bailey on 11 March 2021, pleading not guilty; and after a month long trial on the 9th June 2021, was found guilty. He is due to be sentenced in September. Friends and family of the murdered sisters noted his childish and taunting gestures at them.

The family of the sisters are considering suing the Metropolitan Police for misconduct in the handling of their case. Friends and family of the sisters also say that unlike Sarah Everard and other white women murdered by strangers, the public reaction has not been anywhere close. The Rev. Mina Smallman said this on the matter:

 “I think the notion of ‘all people matter’ is absolutely right, but it’s not true. Other people have more kudos in this world than people of colour.

That’s what gives me purpose – if their lives make a change in the way women are viewed, and black women in particular.

In the pecking order of things we are the lowest on the ladder.”

A hearing is due on 12th July 2021, on the two officers charged with misconduct for taking selfies of the bodies of Ms Henry and Ms Smallman.

See also:

• Violence against women
• Femicide
• Misogynoir
• #SayHerName
• Sarah Everard
• Abolish the police