Death of two-year-old from chronic mould in flat a ‘defining moment’, says coroner

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A coroner has said the death of an “engaging, lively, endearing” two-year-old boy from chronic mould in his family’s flat should be a “defining moment” for the UK’s housing sector.

Awaab Ishak died in 2020, two weeks after his second birthday, due to “chronic exposure” to fungus.

The fungus was in the bathroom and kitchen of the social housing flat in Rochdale he shared with his parents, Faisal Abdullah and Aisha Amin. Abdullah first reported the mould to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing in 2017.

A number of things went wrong in the case of Awaab Ishak, some of them contributing to his death, the senior coroner, Joanne Kearsley said.

After delivering a narrative verdict at Rochdale coroner’s court, Kearsley said: “How in the UK in 2020 does a two-year-old child die as a result to exposure to mould? This is not simply a Rochdale problem or a social housing problem.

“The tragic death of Awaab Ishak should be a defining moment for the housing sector.”

Abdullah arrived in the UK from Sudan in 2016 and was joined by his wife in 2017. Abdullah had some understanding and ability to converse in English. His wife had very little English.

After reporting the mould in 2017, Abdullah was told to paint over it, which he did on a number of occasions.

Kearsley said she was satisfied Abdullah “would not have fully understood to treat the mould with anti-mould treatment/paint”.

In 2020, Abdullah instructed solicitors via a claims company. It was RBH policy – and other providers in the industry – not to tackle disrepairs until there was an agreement from the claimant’s solicitors.

RBH has accepted that a more proactive approach should have been taken to tackle the mould.