Exclusive:
Elianne Andam’s family are demanding the Government tackle the knife crime epidemic plaguing the UK, saying otherwise they risk more children meeting brutal and violent deaths
Tragic Elianne Andam’s family have demanded the Government tackle the “sick” knife crime epidemic plaguing the UK – or risk the brutal deaths of more kids.
Speaking for the first time since 15-year-old schoolgirl Elianne’s teenage attacker, Hassan Sentamu, 18, was found guilty of murder, they called on MPs to step in or more families will suffer. And they demanded tough new laws for companies selling blades to kids and those buying weapons on sites like Amazon.
Elianne’s cousin, Denzil Larbi, spoke out after the alleged murder of 14-year-old Leo Ross in Birmingham and the sentencing of twisted Southport killer Axel Rudakubana. In an exclusive interview, Pastor Denzil said: “It brings everything back, we know what that [Leo’s] family will be going through.
“Since Elianne died there have been too many more young victims, some like Elianne and this young boy who were just school children. It reminds us that in the UK we have a sick issue that needs to be addressed rapidly or we’ll see younger boys and girls dying. If something isn’t done this is going to become normal, with even more families suffering like ours.”
It comes after a man was arrested after five men were stabbed at an Asda in Croydon last month – just two miles from where Elianne was murdered. “It’s hard whenever we hear of another attack in Croydon,” Denzil said. “I believe the community will rally around and show support.
“For us, the community has been amazing. There’s lots of great charities and men and women who are helping people affected by knife crime. The government needs to find funds to keep commissioning the amazing work that they are doing.”
Denzil spoke to the Mirror after Axel Rudakubana was jailed for 52 years for the murder of three girls and the attempted murder of 10 others in Southport. He killed Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Bebe King, 6, Aliceda Silva Aguiar, 9, with a knife purchased on Amazon.
Denzil said: “This is for the government to put more serious consequences in place for companies selling, and young people buying them. I work with young people and see how easy it is for people to get these horrific looking knives that no human being should own.”
Denzil has called on the Government to invest in early intervention measures and overhaul of the national curriculum to teach about the impact of knife crime to primary school children. It comes amid growing questions about why Rudakubana, 18, who was known to police, the courts, social services, mental health agencies and the government’s counter-extremism programme, was not stopped before the rampage in July.
Denzil – who gives talks in primary schools and has worked with young men in prison – said: “It should be taught from primary school age […] Through my prison work with older young people I have seen that by that stage it is harder to intervene. This needs to be part of curriculum just like sex education is – to teach awareness of the impact of knife crime, and maybe even things like how to help someone who has been stabbed.
“If anyone shows any sign of involvement in knife crime there has to be immediate funded intervention available for all councils, such as community programmes – this is where the government and community need to come together, In Southport [Rudakubana] had history. Hassan [Sematu] had brought a knife to school before. I wonder how things might have panned out differently had he received one-to-one mentorship and counselling when he brought the knife in.”
Sentamu was convicted of murdering Elianne in a row over a teddy bear in Janunary. He chased and stabbed her to death in a “white hot” rage. Elianne had gone with a friend to collect the toy from Sentamu, her pal’s ex-boyfriend, in September 2023. He rained blows down on her outside a shopping centre in Croydon, south London.
Sentamu denied murder, claiming his autism had caused him to lose control during the violent attack. However a jury dismissed his claims and he was found guilty after a trial at the Old Bailey. He will be sentenced next month.
