London mayoral election: Mother of knife crime victim Sven Badzak takes Sadiq Khan to task over stabbings

Jasna Badzak
Jasna Badzak pictured at her north London home. Badzak's son, Sven Badzak was stabbed to death near his home in February
Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd

The families of young people stabbed to death on London’s streets today called on Sadiq Khan to do more to tackle youth violence.

Jasna Badzak, whose son Sven was killed on a shopping errand, said the Mayor hadn’t done enough to stop Londoners being targets for “scumbags with knives”.

“Knife crime has infected every part of London. He is the Mayor in charge of policing — he can’t blame the Home Office or Downing Street,” she said.

Her son, a 22-year-old aspiring lawyer, was attacked by a group of men as he stopped to buy a bagel with his 16-year-old friend after visiting Waitrose in Kilburn on February 6.

Two men have been charged with his murder and the attempted murder of his friend who was also stabbed. Four other teenagers arrested on suspicion of murder have been released under investigation.

Mr Badzak’s death is one of 31 homicide investigations opened by Scotland Yard in 2021 despite the lockdown, compared with 33 by April 6 last year.

Nine teenagers have been stabbed to death in London in the first three months, already more than half of the 15 killed throughout 2020. Sixteen of this year’s 31 victims were under 25 (51.6 per cent).

Ms Badzak, a former Tory activist, told the Standard: “Sadiq Khan is too softly-softly on crime. In the middle of this war on crime, we are the targets. Our kids get taken away.”

On losing her sociology graduate son, who worked as a train driver, Ms Badzak said: “I cry every night when I go to bed. The best thing I have in my life is gone. My only child is dead. I can’t comprehend that I’ve seen Sven in the mortuary. Children have a right to live.”

The mother of Archie Beston, 19, who was fatally stabbed on a night out in south-west London by habitual knife carrier Tyrone Bryan, 20, in February last year questioned Mr Khan’s policy on stop and search.

Becky Beston, 39, said: “Sadiq Khan doesn’t back the police on stop and search. Officers are putting their lives at risk for the safety of the people. He’s not — he’s sitting in an office.

“We’re living in a lawless society where kids aren’t afraid to leave home with a knife. My son’s killer had been carrying a knife since he was 16.”

Mrs Beston, a shop stylist, added: “Every day for me is the same. I crumble. I wake up wishing I was dead. I don’t want to be here. It’s torture without my Archie.

Becky Beston, mother of 19 year old knife crime victim Archie Beston, leads a march of family and friends through Kingston upon Thames to demand justice after a manslaughter verdict is reached for her son's killer.
Alamy Stock Photo

“Knife crime was never part of our world. We don’t know anyone who’s been stabbed or murdered. It’s so far removed from our lives. But if it can happen to us, it can happen to anybody.”

Community campaigner Lorraine Jones, who set up a south London boxing gym after her son’s murder, fears an explosion of serious youth violence as lockdown is lifted.

Ms Jones was praised by the Duchess of Cornwall for setting up Dwaynamics, which promotes coaching on life skills and boxing in Brixton’s Angell Town estate in memory of Dwayne Simpson, 20, who was stabbed to death in 2014.

A hallmark of Dwaynamics has been to bring young people and police officers together as fellow south Londoners. The charity has a three-year funding deal with City Hall. But Ms Jones says the money is not enough.

Labour's Mayor Of London Unveils Key Re-election Campaign Pledge
Getty Images

She also said the Mayor’s violence reduction unit and the Government must bring more grassroots community workers with a consistent record in to help on his crime-reducing strategy.

Five youth groups have closed in Lambeth this year, denying support to more than 4,000 children. She said poverty and county lines drug-dealing are main drivers behind a recent spate of stabbings in the capital and more had to be done to protect children.

Ms Jones said: “I’m fearful about the level of violence and insanity with these perpetrators — they haven’t got any respect for age. If you’re in their way, they will slice and stab you. The county lines gangs are really running rife.”

A spokesman for Sadiq Khan said: “Sadiq’s thoughts remain with Sven’s family and everyone going through the pain of losing a loved one to violent crime. As Mayor he has put over 1,000 more police officers on the streets and invested more than £1 billion in tackling crime in the capital.”

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