Your Route to Real News

Boy, 16, killed in park sparking outrage from furious campaigners

04 June 2024 , 07:59
1084     0
Kory McCrimmon died after being stabbed in a park in Glasgow at the weekend, as parents hit out at the government
Kory McCrimmon died after being stabbed in a park in Glasgow at the weekend, as parents hit out at the government's 'inaction' on knife crime (Image: Easterhouse Football Academy.)

The tragic stabbing of a teenage boy has prompted an outcry as other parents accuse ministers of "sleepwalking" through the issue of knife violence.

Kory McCrimmon, 16, died on Sunday after he was stabbed in a park in Glasgow two days earlier. The 16 had been at Greenfield Park in the city when he was injured in a disturbance, dying two days later in hospital.

A 13-year-old boy has now been charged with the schoolboy's murder. Now anti-knife crime activists had hit out at the Scottish government saying warnings about more children dying from violence have gone unheeded.

Mum Vicky Donald, whose 12-year-old daughter Kaylynn was brutally beaten on the back of a school bus said she was "sickened" by the tragedy, saying she and other campaigners have been "warning of this for months". The 36-year-old said: "In fact, we have been shouting it from the rooftops and it has fallen on deaf ears."

Boy, 16, killed in park sparking outrage from furious campaigners rridzziqddidqrprwKory died in hospital on Sunday after being stabbed on Friday night (Media Scotland)

"They'll never watch him grow up," Vicky said of Kory's parents. "Why did a child have to die as a result of a complete lack of action?" Vicky, from Fife, said authorities in Scotland had been seeing soaring rates of youth violence for months and that minsiters had "done nothing".

Brit 'saw her insides' after being cut open by propeller on luxury diving tripBrit 'saw her insides' after being cut open by propeller on luxury diving trip

Angela Jarvis's 14-year-old daughter Abbie was beaten unconscious at a skatepark in Glasgow leaving the 14-year-old suffering from PTSD, as the mum echoed calls for more safe spaces and services for young people. "This child had barely started his life. Why did he have to die?" the 44-year-old told the Daily Record.

"It has left me feeling like I never want to let my kids out again. There's nothing for them to do and nowhere for them to go. More investment is needed for services and facilities for kids to go to. Without this, these tragedies are only going to keep happening."

Former Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has backed the parents' calls as he highlighted there was a group of young people who were "deeply damaged but deeply dangerous", while Labour MSP Monica Lennon admitted young people were being failed by "inaction".

Kenny said: "Our systems and practices have not caught up on the need to adapt and we're dining out on the good work done before, without realising that the ground has changed under our feet. We have been sleep-walking into a problem."

Boy, 16, killed in park sparking outrage from furious campaignersEmergency services were called to Greenfield Park in East Glasgow after Kory was stabbed (Google)

Emergency services were called at 8.15pm on Friday after Kory was stabbed. The 13-year-old accused of his murder was due to appear before Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday, with a file prepared for the procurator fiscal.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends who have lost a loved one. We cannot comment on a live case. In general terms, and acknowledging it is of no comfort to the family who have experienced this horrendous loss, there has been a 25% decrease in non-sexual violent crime since 2006-07 with homicide rates, violence-related hospital admissions and knife carrying all reduced over this period."

"£2 million will be invested to implement the Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland to help divert people away from violence. This includes the work of YouthLink Scotland who deliver No Knives Better Lives and Medics Against Violence to help educate young people on the dangers of carrying knives."

Ruth Suter

Print page

Comments:

comments powered by Disqus