‘Our children are not safe’-Why London parents are buying stab resistant clothing.

Last weekend saw another weekend of violence-nothing new. Shootings, machete attacks and sadly another fatal stabbing. Yesterday, a child was charged with murder and attempted murder in Dagenham. Instead of being at school today, he is in police custody.

There is as usual, very little coverage of this as knife crime is of little interest to those who should be standing up against it.

Bereaved families and anti knife crime campaigners are tired of fighting this battle daily and being ignored. Parents are terrfied.

The Havering Daily yesterday, spoke with different parents about the challenges they face raising children in a capital fuelled by violence.

“My children have stab and slash resistant clothing and it still petrifies me. Kids have no value for life anymore. As soon as I hear something has happened, I’m on my phone calling my children to see where they are and if they are safe,” Kelly said.

“I also search my kids’ bags just incase.

“What makes it worse for parents is the fact that children aren’t even 100% safe in school anymore. Before we would have a few hours of worry free as we knew they were safe at school, but no anymore.”

Leandra told the Havering Daily:”Everyday you have to worry-all day, everyday.

“I see too much on a daily basis and it terrifies me raising a child around all of this violence.

“I track my child’s phone so I know where she is at all times and if something happens, or she calls me worried or scared, I know where she is and can be there instantly.

“Her behaviour does not worry me, but the behaviour of other children. I feel that all parents regardless of the family, need to take some form of accountability and responsibility for their children’s actions and behaviours.”

Parents are scared, they are frightened to let their children go out in fear of what might happen. They live in perpetual fear. Every time another stabbing takes place, their hearts race.

“We all live with this cloud hanging over our heard daily. We know another stabbing is just round the corner. The sad part is our children are so conditioned, that they don’t even react anymore to news of a stabbing,” said Mary.

“I phone my daughter repeatedly when she is out, to keep a track of where she is and if she is safe. It does get harder and harder when she goes out, even the journey to and from school now worries me.

“Our children are not safe-that is the reality we live with everyday.”

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