Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Two teenagers, who brutally stabbed a 14-year-old boy, have been jailed after detectives from the Metropolitan Police Service conducted a thorough investigation. Following the sentencing hearing, the victim’s mother made a heart-rendering plea for young teenagers to stop carrying knives as she spoke of her immense grief.
Kelyan Bokassa was stabbed by the pair as he was sat on a bus in Woolwich in January of this year. Despite the best efforts from officers and paramedics at the scene, Kelyan tragically lost his young life.
Two 16-year-old boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were both sentenced at the Old Bailey to a minimum of 15 years, 10 months for murder. They received an additional 12-month sentence for possession of a knife which will run concurrent.
The teenagers previously pleaded guilty to Keyan’s murder at the same court on Friday, 23 May.
Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lee, whose team led the Met investigation, said: “This case has been deeply troubling for all involved and our thoughts remain with Kelyan’s family and loved ones.
“The harsh reality in London is that violence disproportionately affects young black men and boys. The fact we’re seeing so many teenagers like Kelyan die should be at the forefront of the minds of every politician, every policy maker and everyone who wants better for children growing up in London. Without this collective effort, we won’t be able to tackle knife crime in its entirety.
“And while I am pleased that Keylan’s mother, Marie, has been spared the emotional turmoil of a trial, I know that she still desperately seeks to understand why three young lives could be considered so disposable.
“Finally, I would like to recognise the members of the public that comforted Kelyan in his final moments and the witnesses who entrusted my investigation team with their testimonies. It was your bravery that helped us secure justice. Thank you.”
Marie Bokassa, Kelyan’s mother, said: “My child had a name, it was Kelyan, a future, a heartbeat full of hope. That life was not theirs to take. That moment of violence may have lasted seconds, but the consequences are eternal. They didn’t just take a life; they shattered an entire world. They broke a family, they buried a future, and they left me, a mother dead inside with wounds no justice can ever heal.
“To the young people who carry knives, I beg you to stop, before you raise that blade, think of your own mother, think of the mothers who will cry every night like I do, who will scream into her pillow, who will walk past her child’s empty room and collapse with grief. Don’t let a moment of anger steal your future. Don’t let the streets raise you in a way your mother never would.
“Knife crime is not just statistics to us, its caskets, flowers, funerals. Our children being buried before their parents.”
On the afternoon of Tuesday, 7 January, passengers flagged down passing police officers after Kelyan was stabbed on bus travelling on Woolwich Church Street. These officers began performing emergency first-aid on Kelyan, before the arrival of paramedics. He sadly died a short while later.
An investigation commenced and detectives quickly recovered bus CCTV and witnessed the two teenagers board the bus, making their way to the top deck.
One of the 16-year-old boys could be seen smiling as he recognised Kelyan. Only seconds later both boys produced machetes and launched into a violent ambush.
Kelyan has been stabbed more than eight times, although CCTV showed that they had made more than 27 attempts to wound him.
Audio from the bus highlighted the terror of the incident as screams from members of the public could be heard, as many attempted to flea the frenzied attack.
The pair then fled the scene. Officers traced their movements, with CCTV showing them discard the murder weapon into the river.
Following a manhunt, both were arrested an address in Eltham during the early hours of Wednesday, 15 January.