The government’s recent ban on zombie knives has not gone far enough, according to two mothers who have lost their sons to knife crimes. Jeannine Burke and Kelly Brown both hail from Manchester and are working towards educating children from a young age about the ripple effect that stabbing crimes cause. Brown’s son, Rhamero West, was 16 when he was chased by three men and stabbed after his first day of college. Burke’s son, Ty’rellé, 20, was fatally stabbed by a friend in his own home.
The new legislation has closed a loophole, which makes it a jailable offence to own, make, transport or sell certain weapons, including zombie knives and machetes. The Home Office has stated that the ban on dangerous weapons will help to halve knife crime and serious violence in a decade. However, the mothers agreed that more needs to be done to tackle knife crime, which they said is a moral mission upon all of society.
Brown and Burke have formed a Whatsapp group of 35 women across the country who have lost a child to knife crime. They believe that, apart from another mother going through the same situation, no one else can understand their pain. Both women agree that children need to be educated from primary school age about the long-lasting, devastating consequences of carrying a knife. They also called for heavier sentences for carrying knives in public.
Brown and Burke are taking matters into their own hands and setting up initiatives to prevent similar incidents from occurring again. Brown founded the Mero’s World Foundation, which provides education and has installed 57 bleed safety cabinets around Greater Manchester. Burke started Be Part of Change, which hosts meetings for families affected by knife crime and is launching a games hub for young people in Wythenshawe. Both women also provide talks in schools and colleges around the country and believe that saving as many children as possible is their main priority.
Although the recent ban on certain weapons is a step in the right direction, it is still far from enough. The mothers of the deceased young men are urging the government to take more action to combat knife crime. They believe that only through education and prevention initiatives can the next generation be saved from the same fate as their children
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