The family of the latest victim of London’s teenage knife crime epidemic have called for an end to the bloodshed — as new figures showed the scale of the crisis.
Ilyas Habibi, 17, was knifed close to Sutton station shortly after 7pm last Tuesday. Police said the student had arrived by train and was attacked moments after stepping outside by an attacker who fled the scene. He was the 20th teenager killed on the streets of London this year. Seventeen were stabbed to death.
His death — marking a big rise on the 14 killed last year — heaps further pressure on Scotland Yard chief Sir Mark Rowley and London Mayor Sadiq Khan to do more to tackle knife crime.
Both will be further concerned if this year’s total edges closer to the 30 teens who died in 2021, the worst year on record. According to Met data, between January 1 and October 31, some 3,148 people were stabbed in London, a 5.2 per cent rise on 2022.
Just 584 of the crimes have resulted in charges, a 16 per cent fall in 12 months. Offences peaked in August with 404 victims. Croydon, Lambeth and Newham were the areas most plagued by stabbings.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Ilyas’s brother Elham, 20, said: “The bloodshed must stop. It’s outrageous what is happening on the streets of London. My brother must not become just another statistic in this list of young people being struck down in their prime.”
He added: “These youths with knives are not afraid of the consequences of using these weapons. There needs to be stronger penalties and more action from the police, Government and the Mayor. We can’t go on like this.”
He described how his brother was attacked on his way home from college in Croydon, where he was studying construction. He added: “He got a certificate last week, he was doing so well and we were so proud. He was also going to learn to drive, he had a bright future but that has been cruelly taken away. A police officer knocked on the door and told us he was dead. We are all devastated. Every time I close my eyes I see him. We need whoever did this off the street — we need justice.”
Also among the teenage victims this year was Elianne Andam, the 15-year-old schoolgirl who died after being stabbed at a bus stop in Croydon in September.
Family friend Anthony King, a youth worker from the My Ends project, said: “Knife crime is out of hand. The stabbings have been frightening. It has to stop. But young people are carrying a lot of knives.
“Elianne’s family are devastated. She was a fantastic, energetic and engaging young girl — a really beautiful and talented person with a promising future.”
Across London, the number of killings as a whole this year has exceeded the milestone of 100 for the ninth year in a row. Since January 1, there have been 105 killings, a five per cent increase on the same period last year. Of these, 63 were stabbed and nine shot.
Croydon has the highest number of any borough with 10 — nearly a tenth of the total. Mr King said local police and the community were “doing excellent work” but there was a lack of family and youth services.
He added: “Elianne’s death ripped us apart because we have been working so hard together.”
Becky Beston’s 19-year-old son Archie, a former youth footballer for Brentford and Millwall, was stabbed to death outside a John Lewis store in Kingston in February 2020. Mrs Beston, 42, from Barnes, says she will never get over the pain and plans to spend Christmas Day having lunch at his graveside.
“Enough is enough — it’s heartbreaking that nothing has changed,” she told the Standard. “What happened to my Archie is happening to other families. The law on knife possession is so weak.” She now visits schools to speak to primary-age children about the dangers of carrying knives. Mrs Beston added: “If I can change one life, it will be worth it.”
Mr Khan said: “Knife crime destroys lives. It robs families of their kids, schoolchildren of their friends, and London of talented young people. Tackling knife crime and other violent crime is my top priority as Mayor.
“We have invested to plug the gap by funding an additional 1,300 police officers, taken action to restore neighbourhood policing and put record sums into creating positive opportunities for 300,000 young Londoners.
“One young Londoner lost to knife crime will always be one too many.”
A Met Police spokesman said: “We continue to dedicate large-scale resources into tackling violence, preventing homicides, catching those responsible, bringing justice to victims’ families, while also taking weapons off our streets.”
