The mother of an aspiring lawyer who was stabbed to death in a case of mistaken identity has said dealing with the Metropolitan Police was “harder than getting someone convicted in The Hague”, ahead of the sentencing of his killers.
Sven Badzak, 22, and a 16-year-old friend were attacked by a group of six young men as they walked in Kilburn, north-west London, on the afternoon of February 6, 2021.
Mr Badzak was repeatedly stabbed after falling to the ground, while his friend suffered multiple stab injuries but managed to run into a nearby supermarket for help.
Following a trial at the Old Bailey, drug dealers Rashid Gedel, 22, from Ilford; and Shiroh Ambersley, 23, from Wembley; were found guilty of Mr Badzak’s murder last month.
They were each acquitted of attempted murder of the 16-year-old but were convicted of wounding with intent.
Putting criminals behind bars in The Hague was a piece of cake compared with dealing with the Metropolitan police— Jasna Badzak, victim's mother
Asked what she thought of how the police dealt with the crime on Times Radio, Mr Badzak’s mother, Jasna, said: “It was horrendous for us, they were saying that it was gang-related violence, implying that Sven was a gangster.”
She added it became a “problem” for police to get CCTV and they were “very reluctant to do that”.
Ms Badzak, who was previously a protected witness in two trials of war criminals at The Hague after fleeing her native Yugoslavia, earlier told the Times: “Putting criminals behind bars in The Hague was a piece of cake compared with dealing with the Metropolitan police.”
She described her son as “calm and collected” and said he “never, ever had any altercations with anybody who would be involved in something like that”.
Ms Badzak added she was threatened with arrest for “interfering with the investigation”.
She added: “I was demanding that they arrest the killers and even arresting any one of them would take at least seven to 10 days.”
Gedel and Ambersley are set to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Thursday.
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “Officers have made a number of arrests in addition to those charged with Mr Badzak’s murder, the inquiry continues.
“Officers are determined to bring all those responsible for the death of Sven Badzak to justice.”
