UK police arrested two teenage boys on suspicion of murder following the fatal stabbing of 14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa on a London bus last week.
Kelyan was attacked in broad daylight in Woolwich, southeast London, marking yet another tragic incident of knife violence involving teenagers. The attack adds to a growing number of similar deaths, with 10 teenagers fatally stabbed in London in 2022 and 18 in 2023.
The suspects, aged 15 and 16, are currently being questioned by the police.
British newspapers shared photos of Kelyan, a smiling young boy who, according to his mother, had been targeted by gang members. She revealed that from the age of six, authorities had identified him as being at risk of gang involvement. After being taken into care, Kelyan spent some time living on the streets.
His murder occurred just one day after another stabbing incident in which an 18-year-old boy was seriously injured, a few kilometers away.
In September 2023, a 15-year-old boy, reportedly one of Kelyan’s close friends, was also stabbed to death in Woolwich, in what prosecutors described as retaliation tied to a gang turf conflict.
Recent reports from the Ministry of Justice revealed that in 2017, around 27,000 young people aged 10 to 17 were identified as members of street gangs in the UK.
