Mayor criticised as violence claims its 100th teen victim
SADIQ KHAN, London’s mayor, has been criticised for his handling of knife crime in the capital following the death of the 100th teenager during his tenure.
The 19-year old was fatally stabbed during a fight in Maida Vale in west London on Saturday night. A man aged 20 has been arrested in connection with the incident, the Met police said.
The sobering milestone came four years and five months after Mr Khan became mayor. A total of 118 teenagers were murdered in the capital in the eight years Boris Johnson was mayor, with the 100th death six years and eight months into his mayoralty at City Hall.
Of the teenagers to die during Mr Khan’s term, two were aged just 14, while nine 15-year-olds and 16-year-olds were also killed. Of the 100 teenagers who have been murdered, 85 were stabbed to death, while 11 were shot.
Mr Khan said he was “devastated” for the families and friends of the dead, but blamed Government cuts.
However, Shaun Bailey, the Conservative London mayoral candidate, said: “A hundred teenagers have died since Sadiq Khan became mayor. That’s a hundred mums who can no longer hug their children or see them grow up. This is a shocking trend. Knife crime rose by 38 per cent in the year prior to lockdown. Homicides are at an 11-year high. And Sadiq Khan’s response is to defund police by £110 million.
“It is a terrible indictment of Sadiq Khan. Londoners deserve a safer, fairer and more affordable city. If Sadiq Khan won’t deliver it, then he should step aside for someone who can.”
Mr Khan said: “I am committed to being tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. The causes are complex and involve deep-seated problems, including inequality, poverty, social alienation and a lack of opportunities for young people.
“The situation has sadly been made worse by the Government’s cuts to policing and public services over the past decade.”