When human beings become statistics

Another day, another victim. In the last few hours, a Black teenager lost his life in London. Despite  statements by public officers indicating that 'the number of violent crimes has gone down', the issue is that for yet another London family such statements feel and sound hollow. London is riddled with gangs, many of them extremely violent and armed. I can only imagine how painful this can be for family and friends.

I have said again and again that the identity of the victims and of the victimizers doesn't change the fact that crime is crime. I have said that unless everybody is safe nobody is safe. I said it during the Mayoral Campaign and I say it on a daily basis every time I talk about crime because this is what I believe.

My sense of Justice has nothing to do with racism, xenophobia, homophobia, gender, religion, or differences regarding political beliefs because Justice to be Justice must be Universal and must apply to all individuals without discrimination. Above all, we are human beings and it is my sense of Justice what motivated me to write this article.

Police Commander Steve Rodhouse stated that the number of street stabbings has fallen by 28 per cent in the last 18 months but the statement comes at the time when a 17-year-old was killed becoming official victim number 11.

Despite official statements, given the number of shootings, stabbings and murders, the criminality rate is said to be comparable to the infamous favelas of Rio de Janeiro.