The emotional tribute paid today by the sister of the 16-year old Harry Pitman to her “hero” brother following his fatal stabbing on Primrose Hill as he waited to watch New Year’s Eve fireworks is, regrettably, just the latest illustration of the devastating trauma inflicted on families by London’s knife crime problem, but should add urgency to the need to find solutions nonetheless.
In a social media post, Tayla Pitman said Harry was a “good boy” who was “not in any way involved in gangs”, and it certainly appears from the evidence of the Met, which had received no intelligence of violence in the park that night, that her dead brother paid the price of the normalisation of knife carrying among other young Londoners, which seems to have turned a minor altercation into a fatal tragedy.
It is this propensity of prolific young knife carriers to carry blades, and to think that even casual disputes should be resolved with their use, that demands far greater action from all those responsible for trying to tackle this blight on our city, ranging from the Mayor Sadiq Khan to youth workers and teachers, as well as the family and friends of those involved. Social media companies and musicians who glamorise violence have responsibilities too to ensure that their content is not adding to the problem.
The Met can use stop and search to remove knives from the streets, but the real way to prevent further needless deaths is to convince young Londoners to stop carrying blades in the first place. Changing attitudes is vital. Otherwise, Harry Pitman’s awful death will not be the last teenage tragedy.
Think again, doctors
The six-day junior doctors’ strike that began this morning has already led to the cancellation of 337,000 appointments and operations in London.
The doctors, who want an unrealistic 35 per cent increase, have already been given an average nine per cent rise with three per cent extra potentially on offer, but still insist their action is justified.
They should think again and put the interests of patients first.
Farewell to hangovers
Research reveals that young people are the biggest consumers of low-alcohol drinks, with close to half of 18 to 24-year-olds considering themselves regular drinkers of such beverages.
As we enter “dry January”, it’s encouraging news of responsible attitudes that will spare them the pain of future unwanted festive hangovers.
