Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council recently made an announcement regarding the removal of the Portal installation from the beach located near Bournemouth Pier. However, after speaking with the families of Joe Abbess, 17, and Sunnah Khan, 12, who tragically drowned, the council has decided to keep the installation in place.
The incident occurred when the pair and eight others were believed to have been caught in a riptide near the pier. Vanessa Abbess, Joe’s mother, lodged a complaint describing the installation as “disrespectful”, leading to the council’s initial decision to remove the 15-meter high mirrored archway, which was part of Bournemouth’s annual Arts by the Sea Festival.
BCP Council’s chief executive, Graham Farrant, has since apologized to the families for what he referred to as a “crass mistake”. However, a joint statement released on Friday by the council and the Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival clarified that the artwork would remain in place until Wednesday, responding to Farrant’s comments and expressing continued remorse for any distress caused to the families.
The statement promised: “We remain deeply sorry for the upset the positioning of this installation has caused and apologize once again for any further distress experienced by the families of Joe Abbess and Sunnah Khan. After speaking with the families, it has been agreed that the installation will remain on Bournemouth Beach as planned. As a mark of respect, the audio and lighting of Portal was switched off on Friday night.”
In Vanessa Abbess’ statement, she expressed the shock and astonishment felt by the family upon seeing news reports of the installation. She described it as “disrespectful” and voiced concerns about its location, which frames the area of the sea where Joe and Sunnah faced difficulty.
Abbess further criticized the decision to place the installation on the section of beach where emergency services attended to the casualties on May 31. She believed that it was an inappropriate area to celebrate the sea or serve as a tourist attraction. She added that the family had reached out to BCP Council, who own the beach, to express their distress and upset, noting that adjustments could have been made during the past 17 weeks.
Mr. Farrant acknowledged the council’s need to review internal processes to prevent similar incidents from occurring again in the future. An inquest into the death of the two youngsters has been initiated, with a full hearing expected in September 2024.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
