Stabbed teen’s family on ‘soft’ UK justice: If this happened in Sudan – we’d hang the killers
Lawyer-to-be... Sami at the Royal Courts of Justice
THE aunt of a law student murdered on his doorstep has attacked Britain’s ‘soft’ justice, saying his killers would be hanged in her native Sudan.
Sami Sidhom, 18, was stabbed multiple times in the back by a gang of ‘cowards’ who ambushed him in the dark as he walked home alone from a football game.
The Queen Mary University of London student was attacked in a residential street just yards from the front door of his £600,000 semi- detached family home in Forest Gate, East London, at 10.50pm on April 16.
His Sudanese-Egyptian family settled there after coming to Britain 27 years ago for a better life. Yesterday the aunt of the aspiring lawyer said Britain was too soft on knife crime.
Orania Yousif, 67, said: ‘The Government and the police are not doing anything about this. There is no government or police in England like in Egypt or Sudan.
‘If something happened like this they would know very quickly who had done it and they would hang them or put them in prison for a very, very long time. They wouldn’t put them in prison for five to ten years and then let them out again like they do there. If you kill someone, they just hang them.
‘Here it’s nothing, they are soft in England. They just put them in prison for a while and let them out.
‘This is happening every day. In the past two months how many have been killed like this? Sixty, 70? But still they just let them out. In the Bible, it says if someone kills, they must be killed.’
The devout Christian paid tribute to her nephew, saying: ‘He was a very clever and kind boy. He was a joy to be around. He was never in trouble and a good family boy. He just went out to watch football and never came back.’
Mrs Yousif said her family came to Britain to escape the Sudanese civil war and had hoped their children would have a brighter future here. Many of Mr Sidhom’s cousins have excelled, getting jobs working for the Bank of England, City firms and teaching law.
Mr Sidhom, who is the son of a tech entrepreneur, also seemed destined for a top career in the law. Yesterday pictures emerged of the gifted student standing in front of the Royal Courts of Justice, where he dreamed of working.
The teenager, known as Mr Swot due to his academic record, was pictured in 2015 visiting the London legal landmark with his classmates from the renowned Newham Collegiate Sixth Form College, which sends 95 per cent of its students to elite Russell Group universities. At the age of 14, Mr Sidhom was chosen to visit Cambridge University after teachers at Forest Gate Community School tipped him for success. Although he later decided to study law and history at Queen Mary University, he continued to get top marks.
A university spokesman said: ‘We are deeply shocked and saddened. Sami was a hard-working, motivated and popular student, and he will be greatly missed.
‘We extend our deepest condolences to Sami’s family and friends at this very difficult time.’ Fellow classmates told of their shock, with one girl called Eve saying: ‘This problem with knives in London is not exclusive to gangs and criminals. Sami Sidhom was a promising, kind and quiet student.’ Friend Tariq Bhugeloo, 22, said: ‘He was nothing to do with gangs. When you saw him it was like the sun coming up, he made you happy.’
Last night a spokesman for Mr Sidhom’s family praised Scotland Yard detectives working around the clock to find the killers. The spokesman said: ‘We believe police are doing all they can. We appreciate what they are doing and we hope that the general public will support them.’
Yesterday it emerged that Mr Sidhom was attacked just minutes after going to a neighbouring street to check on his new Audi A4. Friends believe he may have been targeted by thugs jealous of the car. A 22- year- old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
‘If someone kills, they must be killed’