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Jun 11, 2023

'My son wears a stab proof vest every time he leaves the house after his former friend knifed him multiple times'

A West London mum worries that not enough is being done to protect youngsters

A West London mum worries that not enough is being done to protect youngsters

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A worried West London mum has revealed her son now wears a stab proof vest every time he leaves the house after he was knifed multiple times by a "former friend". The woman who wishes to remain anonymous to prevent retaliation or further escalation tells MyLondon she has spoken to the mum of the boy who allegedly stabbed her son, and claims she is equally as devastated and at a loss of how to protect their sons from the pressure of gangs.

The teenage victim, who was aged 17 at the time, was out walking in West London in the middle of the day at the end of 2022 when he was approached by a boy he once was friendly with, but who had since moved to a neighbouring area.

The victim suffered two stab wounds, but on inspection of his large puffy coat after the incident, his mum found around eight slashes that failed to penetrate the fabric. Speaking to MyLondon, the devastated mum recalled the moment she drove past the incident, unaware at first that it was her son that had been stabbed.

READ MORE: 'Highly dangerous' thug stabbed homeless man in the neck after sneaking up on him sleeping near Liverpool Street Station

She said: "I [drove past] and saw his girlfriend crying and shouted out the window to see if she was ok, she shook her head and said 'he's been stabbed'. I saw all the ambulances and police, hopped out the car and ran over.

"He had one white bandage on one wound in his stomach and the other he was holding on his hand. It looked bad because there was so much blood. However, it was superficial. They took his coat for evidence and it had all these stab holes in it and I thought 'oh my god you could have died'."

The boy was taken to Queen Mary's Hospital where he was stitched up and a social worker came to speak with him, explained the mum. She said: "It was lucky he was wearing a padded coat, but [the police] just don't [care]. I'm really angry."

Since the terrifying ordeal, the mum has been having "sleepless nights" and still feels "traumatised", in part because she feels not enough is being done to prevent these attacks from continuing.

The mum said: "It's shocking. I just wouldn't have thought that was possible, I wouldn't have known all this was going on, until I had a teenage boy." She added: "I'm disgusted. They just don't care about kids' lives. These are children, growing up on these streets. If they at least arrested people, there would be a deterrent but there is none."

She claims that the police are aware of the suspect, but says they have not questioned him or even made use of the CCTV showing the incident. "Still to this day they've never even questioned that kid," she said.

The mum is concerned about the pressure older gang members are putting on younger teens to carry out attacks. The mums of the two boys have reportedly spoken since the stabbing, and the victim's mum revealed the alleged attacker's mum was "lovely".

She said: "I feel for the other mum because that could have been me, the way they were raised [is similar]. My son could be dead and her son could be doing life in prison and it breaks my heart." She added: "I just want to fast forward until he's out of that age but you’re still not safe. They say they’re cracking down on knife crime, but they’re doing what? They’re doing zero."

This is not the first time that the woman's son was targeted in a violent attack. The year prior, her teenager was attacked while with a group of friends and shot at, with the police incorrectly telling the mother after that her son was the target, leaving her "frantic" and unable to sleep.

She was so terrified that her family would be attacked at home that she was pacing around the house with a knife. It was only after months of distress and panic, and sending her son out of the city, that the police finally told her they had made a mistake and that her son was not the intended target. "I was losing the plot. That was all linked to wrong information from the police," she said.

"The police made me think he was in a gang, and I believed them. Because most parents whose kids are in a gang probably don't know. But if the police inform you, of course you listen to them instead of your 16 year old." The mum added that they now have "zero confidence" in the police. She added: "All of it is just absolutely insane."

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: "Officers from CID began an investigation and gathered witness accounts and CCTV from surrounding properties. Images of the suspect have been circulated on police systems in an attempt to identify him but so far have not resulted in any identification.

"As part of the investigation, a meeting was held two days after the stabbing to ensure that relevant safeguarding was in place for the victim. This included representatives from specialist teams across the BCU as well as outreach and youth workers and the local authority.

"We know that knife crime has a significant impact on individuals and we are investing huge resource into tackling these types of offences. We are also continuing engagement work with our communities and partners. We know that early intervention is key in diverting young people away from violence, and we are working with the Violence Reduction Unit in this area. Tackling violence on our streets requires a multi-agency approach – providing the right care by the right person, it cannot be solved by policing alone."

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