The mayor of Greater Manchester has called for “the widest possible investigation” into events leading up to the drowning of a 12-year-old refugee last summer. The body of Shukri Abdi, who came to the UK in January 2017, was found in the River Irwell in Bury, Greater Manchester, in June 2019. A group of children were with her at the river in the period before she died. The case has received renewed attention in both the UK and US after it was adopted by Black Lives Matter campaigners following the death of George Floyd. The mayor, Andy Burnham, said he wanted not only the events on the day of Shukri’s death and the months leading up to it looked at, but also the actions of all public bodies involved. Shukri’s mother has claimed her daughter was subjected to extensive bullying at school. An inquest that opened in February but which was adjourned with no confirmed resumption date, largely focuses on events on the day of Shukri’s death. It is not examining allegations of bullying at school. Burnham said: “I have today written to the coroner pledging our support for the process that is under way and for the widest possible investigation into what happened both on the day and in the months leading up to it, looking at the actions of all public bodies involved.” He added that he had offered to assist the coroner to get Shukri’s inquest concluded as soon as possible. “Once the inquest is concluded we will of course consider what further action may be needed on the back of it. We are committed to ensuring that the truth of what happened is clearly established in this case.” Prominent supporters calling for “justice for Shukri” include the Star Wars actor John Boyega, Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz, and the US rapper and actor Ice Cube. Shukri’s mother, Zamzam Arab Ture, says she is deeply traumatised by her daughter’s death and dismayed by the long delay in resuming the inquest, which was adjourned on 28 February. She has thanked campaigners all over the world for highlighting her daughter’s case. “I am very grateful to the whole world for all the support for my beautiful daughter Shukri,” she said. “Please keep my family in your prayers and please continue to fight for justice for my daughter.” The children connected with the case can be referred to only as Child One, Child Two, Child Three, Child Four and Child Five. At the inquest hearing in February Ture told the inquest her daughter could not swim. Child Two said Shukri and Child One were at first holding hands when they got into the river. “She [Shukri] let go because the water was flowing. She went down, she came back up again. She shouted ‘help, help’. She was flapping her hands. She was scared,” Child Two said in the police interview. “I knew that she would die. When she went down the second time she never came back up.” Child One is claimed to have told her, the inquest heard: “If you don’t get into the water, I’m going to kill you.” But said she had said it in a laughing and joking way. Child Four, one of the children who tried to save Shukri’s life, earlier told the inquest that Child One laughed while Shukri struggled and they thought Child One had thought Shukri was joking. Child Three said they did not hear Child One laughing. Following Shukri’s death, Greater Manchester police initially said they were treating what happened as a “tragic incident” and did not believe there were any suspicious circumstances. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has investigated the police’s actions in the case and will publish the report at the conclusion of the inquest. The evidence of Child One has not yet been heard, along with evidence from one of the police officers involved in the case. Maz Saleem of the Justice4Shukri campaign said campaigners were providing support to Ture. Shukri came to the UK with her mother and four siblings after they fled conflict in Somalia. Shukri was born and brought up in a refugee camp in Kenya. She and her family were brought to the UK as part of the vulnerable persons resettlement scheme in which refugees are vetted by the UN. Only the most vulnerable individuals and families are accepted on to the scheme.