The Zimbabwean and British communities are mourning the tragic loss of Christine Chido Benjamin, a 19-year-old Zimbabwean-born law student, who was found dead in Manchester’s River Irwell on Thursday, 17 July 2025.
Christine, a brilliant and ambitious young woman, had earned four scholarships and was studying law with dreams of becoming a barrister. Her body was discovered by specialist divers near the Lowry Hotel after she was reported missing in the early hours of the morning.
According to Greater Manchester Police (GMP), emergency services were called shortly after midnight following reports of someone entering the river at the Salford-Manchester border. Divers and underwater search teams conducted an overnight search, eventually recovering her body around Blackfriars Road.
Christine’s mother, visibly devastated, spoke to the media about the events that preceded her daughter’s death. She shared that Christine had recently returned from Portugal, where she claimed her friends had given her cannabis, an incident after which her mental health appeared to decline rapidly.
Christine was taken to hospital, where she confided privately to nurses. After being discharged, her behavior reportedly grew more erratic. She began speaking in the third person, saying things like, “I saw my daughter has fled,” and was seen wandering between restaurants and shops.
Her family attempted to seek help, but according to her mother, police initially refused to launch a search. Hours later, she received the devastating call that her daughter had been found dead.
While the exact cause of death is still under investigation, the incident has sparked concern and sadness across both the UK and Zimbabwe. Tributes have poured in for Christine, remembered as a gifted student, a dedicated daughter, and a young woman full of promise.
