Student was ‘stabbed in the back by cowards in the dark’
‘Evil triumphs when good people do nothing’, say student’s family
THE family of a model law student stabbed to death by “cowards in the dark” have blamed his murder on the failure to tackle knife crime.
Sami Sidhom, 18, was killed as he returned home from a West Ham United football match on April 16.
The teenager, who was studying at Queen Mary University, was attacked and stabbed multiple times by a gang outside his home Forest Gate, east London.
Scotland Yard said a 22-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder and was being questioned.
Police have said they have still no idea of the motive and are appealing for witnesses. It is thought the murderers may have escaped in a car.
In a statement, his family said: “How many more have to die this way before everyone cares? How many more communities like ours have to be terrorised by mindless stabbings? Sami was a model son, model student, a dedicated West Ham fan who was studying to be a lawyer to bring fair play and justice to those who needed it.
“He never had a chance to do any of that because he was stabbed in the back by cowards in the dark. He was only 18. We’ve somehow ended up in a society where our brightest hopes are taken before they’ve even started.
“It is shameful that a single knife is allowed on the street. There isn’t a single fathomable reason why this is still tolerated, unchecked and unstopped. Those who are responsible for enforcing the banning of knives in our streets are also responsible for his death. Someone once said evil triumphs when good people do nothing.”
In their statement, the family went on: “It wasn’t just Sami that got stabbed near his home. It was justice itself that got stabbed in the back. It’s up to all of us to ensure justice and life should be given and never taken.”
Scotland Yard said Sami was returning home after earlier watching West Ham United play Stoke City, and had just got off a bus in Romford Road. He was walking the final part of the journey when he was attacked.
Det Chief Insp Mark Wrigley, leading the investigation, said: “I now appeal to those people in the community who know what took place or who is responsible to come forward and give Sami’s family the justice they deserve.”
The murder came amid fears over a surge of violence sweeping the capital and other parts of the country.
Since the start of the year, the Met Police has launched more than 60 murder investigations, the latest after a man was stabbed to death in Finsbury Park, north London, on Saturday.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, also appealed for help to find Sami’s killers, and said: “Nobody could fail to be moved by Sami’s family’s tribute to him… We all have a role to play in keeping our streets safe… The police and other groups can’t do this alone. They need each and every one of us to do the right thing and work tirelessly to end this scourge.”