‘Our Lives Are Broken-There Is No Glory In Knife Crime’-The Forgotten London Mums.

Why are bereaved families not getting any support and just being brushed aside?

It is not a known fact but families who have lost their child to knife crime very rarely get the right support and are not even offered bereavement counselling.

There are now sadly many families across London who have lost a child to knife crime. The incident is highlighted in the media, then the trial takes place and there it ends. However, it does not end for that family, it never ends for that family and there lies another broken household.

Sue Hedges lost her son Ricky in 2016. The incident was so horrendous that even the family dog had her throat slashed.

Sue, her partner Paul and her son and daughter April and Perry had to gather around a hospital bed and watch the nurse turn Ricky’s life support machine off. Yet no counselling or support has ever been given to this family.

Peguy Kato lost her son Champion Ghanda in 2013, stabbed 11 times on the Newham streets and was told to remove the flowers she left on the spot where he lost his life.

She had to sit in court and watch CCTV footage of the moment Champion lost his life alone on the street.

She was never offered any form of counselling or support.

Julie Taylor lost her grandson Liam ‘Fish’ Taylor in 2019 and had to sit in court and watch Liam’s killer smirk as they saw her and her family. Her family is so broken they cannot even acknowledge Liam is dead and say ‘he is on holiday’

I will now share with you some of the comments these mums have made to me-

‘I cannot look in the mirror- I don’t want to see myself.’

‘I didn’t think the sun would ever rise again.’

‘We are truly broken-my family is broken my son does not want to live now.’

‘Everyday is horrendous for us- yet nobody cares. Why?’

‘Please keep my son’s name alive.’

‘The pain is unimaginable.’

This is the reality of knife crime-there is no glory in it. There is no glory in burying your child. Many of these mums spend their time at their son’s grave, regardless of the weather as they cannot stand to be without their son.

Not one of these mums has ever been offered any form of counselling, not one has had support except from police officers. Not one has been cared for as they should. They are the forgotten women of London.

Every time another fatality takes place, these families relive their pain and pray most days that no other child will lose his life on the street.

Yet sadly nobody cares, nobody listens to their desperate pleas to stop these horrific crimes from taking place.

What must it take for those who should be listening- to actually take note of knife crime?

In the words of Peguy ‘Please do something now to stop this nightmare-because if it comes knocking on your door, it will be too late then’.

Stay up to date with all of our latest updates and content by following us on our social media accounts!

We have created community pages where we will share our up-to-date stories happening in the area. Add the area closest to where you live.

Support Local Journalism
We at The Havering Daily appreciate your support of quality journalism. Your generous donation, no matter the size, allows us to continue bringing unbiased and informative news to the community. Your contribution helps us maintain our independence and allows us to continue providing high-quality journalism. Thank you for valuing the work we do and for supporting our mission

Thank you