Mother explains how to spot children being groomed into gangs

19 August 2020, 18:46

Bereaved mother explains how to spot your child being groomed to be in a gang

A mother whose son was stabbed to death and an officer specialising in gang warfare spoke to LBC News to share with parents what the tell-tale signs are when children are being groomed for gangs.

Peguy Kato-sweye lost her son in 2013.

Champion, who was 17 years old at the time, died after being stabbed 11 times in a street fight. He was just 17 years old.

Peguy spoke to Detective Inspector Iain Wallace, who runs a gangs unit for Waltham Forest and Newham, to raise awareness for parents on how to identify signs their child is being groomed into a gang.

The topics during the 25-minute chat ranged from Black Lives Matter, how teenagers view police, and what could have been done differently to save her son's life.

Since Champion's death in 2013, Peguy has dedicated her life to tackling knife crime, setting up the All Champion Charity which offers family support to those who have lost loved ones, as well as educating young people about the dangers of knife crime.