November 22nd 2025.
Mina Smallman has a routine that she cherishes - watching a TV documentary that features her beloved daughters, Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman. With the press of a button, she is transported back to a time where she can hear their voices, see their beautiful faces, and feel the joy of their fun-loving spirits once again.
For Mina, these memories are all she has left of her vivacious daughters. She can no longer pick up the phone for a quick chat or give them a hug after a tough day, as their lives were tragically taken away in a racially motivated attack five years ago. Watching them on screen may bring back painful memories, but it also helps keep her girls alive.
"I miss Bibaa's infectious laughter and our shared love for music. Nikki, I miss her kindness and seeing her and her father Chris being silly together," Mina shares with Metro from her home in Kent. "Most of the time, I'm just left with the good memories."
The summer of 2020 was supposed to bring some relief from the lockdown in the UK, but for the Smallman family, it was the beginning of a new nightmare. In the early hours of June 6, while celebrating Bibaa's 46th birthday in Fryent Country Park in North London, Bibaa and Nicole were brutally murdered in a racially motivated attack. They were stabbed multiple times, leaving their family and friends devastated.
"It's been five years, but the pain is still raw," Mina says. "I miss Bibaa's laughter and Nikki's kindness every day."
It took 24 hours for the police to respond to over 15 calls from worried family and friends. It was only when Nicole's boyfriend Adam took matters into his own hands and found their bodies that they were taken seriously. To make matters worse, the two officers assigned to guard the sisters overnight, PC Jaffer and PC Lewis, were found to have taken photos of the crime scene and shared them in a WhatsApp group full of misogynistic and racist comments.
Their killer, Danyal Hussein, was a self-proclaimed "Aryan" with extremist and Satanic beliefs. At just 18 years old, he had joined an American cult on the dark web and signed a contract in his own blood to kill six Black women, thinking it would make him win the lottery. It took 25 days for the police to catch and arrest Hussein, who was eventually sentenced to a minimum of 35 years in prison.
Although Mina has forgiven him, she will never extend that forgiveness to the two officers who violated her daughters' dignity. "I didn't have to forgive the murderer, but if I hadn't, my whole world would have been consumed by thoughts of revenge," Mina explains. "But for Despicable One and Two, as I call them, no, I haven't forgiven them."
When the Metropolitan police commissioner, Cressida Dick, came to visit Mina and her husband Chris at their request, her apology felt like a slap in the face. "The Charing Cross Whatsapp group was already being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), so she knew it was a serious issue," Mina shares. "And the recent Panorama program shows that it's still happening. They have to be constantly vigilant and hold these officers accountable."
Mina believes that the reason her daughters' murders received so much media attention was because of the officers' actions. "I started speaking out because no one seemed to care about the two women of color who were killed in a park until two police officers took selfies with them," she says. As a former teacher and archdeacon, Mina is determined to honor her daughters' lives by advocating for change and fighting for the safety of all women and girls, regardless of their race.
Mina's efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2021, she collaborated with Stacey Dooley to create the BBC documentary "Two Daughters," and she also wrote her memoir, "A Better Tomorrow." This year, a three-part Sky documentary titled "Bibaa & Nicole: Murder in the Park" was released, featuring emotional interviews with the sisters' family and friends.
The pain of losing her daughters will never go away, but Mina finds solace in keeping their memory alive and fighting for justice and change. Their lives were taken too soon, but their legacy will continue to inspire and bring attention to the urgent need to address violence against women and girls. Metro's ongoing campaign, "This Is Not Right," in partnership with Women's Aid, aims to shed light on this national emergency and encourage others to share their stories and join the fight for a better tomorrow.
Mina Smallman, a grieving mother, shares a special bond with her daughters, Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman. Every time she watches a TV documentary about them, she feels like she is reliving their memories. She listens to their voices, admires their beautiful faces, and gets lost in their fun personalities once again. These are the only moments she has left to hold onto, as her beloved daughters were taken away from her in a senseless and racially motivated attack five years ago.
Bibaa and Nicole were vibrant, full of life, and had a close relationship with their mother. Mina misses Bibaa's infectious laugh and their shared love for music. She also misses Nicole's kindness and the silly moments she used to have with her father, Chris. Talking about her daughters, Mina shares that she is often left with only the good memories, but watching them on screen makes their tragic deaths feel more real. It also helps her keep their memory alive.
The devastating incident occurred in the summer of 2020, when the Smallman family was enjoying a sense of normalcy after the lockdown. During a celebration for Bibaa's 46th birthday at Fryent Country Park in North London, the two sisters were brutally murdered in a racially motivated attack. They were stabbed multiple times, leaving their family and friends in shock and anguish. It took 24 hours for the police to respond to the multiple calls from worried loved ones, and it was only when Nicole's boyfriend, Adam, found their bodies that they were taken seriously.
Adding to the pain, two police officers who were supposed to guard the sisters that night, PC Jaffer and PC Lewis, were later found to have taken photos of their bodies and shared them in a WhatsApp group filled with racist and misogynistic comments. The perpetrator, Danyal Hussein, had extremist and Satanic beliefs and had joined a cult on the dark web. He had even signed a contract in his own blood, promising to kill six Black women in exchange for winning the lottery. It took 25 days for the police to catch and arrest him, and he was eventually sentenced to a minimum of 35 years in prison.
While Mina has found it in her heart to forgive her daughters' killer, she will never forgive the two police officers who disrespected her daughters' bodies in such a vile manner. As the girls' mother, she continues to mourn their tragic deaths and has dedicated herself to seeking justice for them and other women and girls who face violence and discrimination.
In 2024, Metro launched a year-long campaign called "This Is Not Right" to address the epidemic of violence against women. In collaboration with Women's Aid, the campaign aims to shed light on the alarming scale of this national emergency. The sisters' family and friends still struggle with the loss, but Mina remains determined to honor their lives by fighting for the safety of all women and girls, regardless of their race.
Mina believes that the media coverage and public outrage surrounding her daughters' murders were largely due to the actions of the two police officers. She started her activism because she felt that no one cared about the lives of two women of color until the officers took selfies with their bodies. Even though she has forgiven her daughters' killer, she will never forgive the officers, who she refers to as "Despicable One and Two." Mina also shares her disappointment with the lack of accountability and progress within the Metropolitan Police, especially after a recent investigation revealed rampant racism and misogyny within the department.
Despite her heartache, Mina has channeled her energy into honoring her daughters' lives. She requested BBC to make a documentary called "Two Daughters" in 2021 and has written a memoir titled "A Better Tomorrow." This year, she also participated in a three-part Sky documentary called "Bibaa & Nicole: Murder in the Park," which features emotional interviews with the sisters' loved ones.
The loss of Bibaa and Nicole will forever be a tragedy, but Mina's unwavering love and dedication to her daughters' memory have sparked conversations and brought attention to the pervasive issues of racism and violence against women. As she continues to fight for justice and change, her daughters' legacy lives on.
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