A suspect has been charged with murder following the death of a 15-year-old boy who was fatally stabbed in southeast London with a “zombie knife”. The victim, Daejaun Campbell, was found with a stab wound on Eglinton Road in Woolwich. Despite emergency services’ efforts, the teenager died on the scene. 18-year-old Jacob Losiewicz has been charged with the crime and is expected to appear in court on Thursday. Other than Losiewicz, another man who was taken into custody based on suspicion of murder has been released without charge, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Police.
Local law enforcement officers will stay in the area while the investigation is ongoing. Trevor Lawry, the detective chief superintendent, said that detectives are working around the clock to piece together the events that led to the teenager’s death. Lawry also appealed for anyone with information about the case to contact the police. “We are still actively appealing for information on the tragic death of 15-year-old Daejaun Campbell in Woolwich at the weekend,” he said.
The use of “zombie knives,” which are often decorated with horror or undead themes, has prompted alarm in the UK in recent years. In the year leading up to August 2018, approximately 500 “zombie knives” were confiscated by the police. The knives are frequently sold on websites and in shops, and campaigners have called for their sale and ownership to be outlawed completely. In early 2019, the government made it illegal to purchase, carry or dispose of such knives in England and Wales, with a sentence of as many as four years in jail.
Violent crime involving knives in England has risen dramatically over the last decade, with London being disproportionately impacted. In 2019, the city witnessed a number of high-profile stabbing incidents involving teenagers, leading to public debate about the causes of youth crime and the effects of austerity on community policing
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