Sadiq Khan urged to declare ‘public order emergency’ after teen stab death
Sadiq Khan has been urged to declare a “public order emergency” after a 14-year-old boy was fatally stabbed on a bus in Woolwich, south east London.
Kelyan Bokassa died shortly after 2.30pm on Tuesday, 7 January, after being treated for stab wound injuries, the Met Police said.
His mother, Mary Bokassa, told the BBC she was not surprised her son was killed and that he had been groomed by gangs since the age of six.
She told BBC London: “I feel hurt because I tried to prevent it. I’ve tried so many, so many times. I screamed it, I said ‘my son is going to be killed’.”
Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK, and Alex Wilson, Reform London assembly member, have now written to mayor Sadiq Khan urging him to “put an end” to rising knife crime.
They wrote: “You are London’s Police and Crime Commissioner. The buck stops with you.
“In your London, we’re now at a point where parents have the constant worry they may receive a call from school telling them their child is not returning from school.
“Not because they’re at an after-school club. Not because they’ve got a detention. Because they’ve been stabbed to death.”
The letter argued: “Since the pandemic, you’ve presided over a 50 per cent increase in knife offences. We are seeing thousands of knife incidents on our streets every single year.
“Without action, it’s clear to see that we are on course for a record year. Year after year we have seen a rise in knife crime. It’s time to put an end to that.
“It is time to declare a Public Order Emergency and take immediate action to stop more young lives being cut short.”
Reform said it wanted to see “stop and search to immediately be ramped up in hotspot areas, police presences to be drastically boosted, and weapon sweeps to commence across the capital”.
A spokesperson for Khan said: “Nothing is more important to the mayor than keeping Londoners safe and he is determined to do all he can to tackle violence, crime and its complex causes.”
They argued Khan has “invested record amounts” in the Met and violence reduction schemes.
“The number of young people being injured with knives is down and while one death is one too many, there were fewer teenage homicides in London last year compared to any year since 2012,” they continued.
“The latest ONS figures also show that the violent crime rate is lower in London than in the rest of the country but clearly there is still much more work to do.
“Sadiq is working with partners, the police, communities and government to ensure we build on the progress being made to make London safer for everyone.”
Met Police Detective Chief Inspector Martin Thorpe said: “Following Kelyan’s tragic death yesterday, specialist officers are now leading the investigation which is progressing at pace.
“The incident happened shortly before 2.30pm on a route 472 bus on Woolwich Church Street, SE18 at the Woolwich Ferry bus stop.”
He added: “If anyone saw this horrific attack or was in the area then I urge them to come forward and speak to officers. We’re particularly interested in any mobile phone footage that captured this incident or any dash cam or doorbell footage from around the surrounding area at the time of this incident.
“I know this is an incredibly worrying time for those in Woolwich, and there will continue to be an enhanced police presence in the area.
“Our thoughts remains with Kelyan’s family, who are being supported by specialist officers at this difficult time.”
There has been no arrests and enquiries continue.
If anyone witnessed the incident or has any information which may help, they are urged to call police on 101 with ref 3795/07JAN25 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.