Gang culture 'can affect schools'

Gang culture is still luring many young people into a life of crime and violence, a report has suggested.

A study for the NASUWT teachers' union found teenagers involved in gangs brought weapons into school and even wore stab-proof clothes for protection.

The study, which examined inner-city schools in London and Birmingham, said gangs were becoming more dangerous and involved children of a younger age.

But the government insisted the vast majority of schools were "very safe".

The report said gangs in schools usually stemmed from established issues in the wider community, rather than developing in schools themselves.

While not all schools had a problem, gang culture was a "significant concern" for those that did.

The research - carried out by the Perpetuity Group, a consultancy which specialises in reducing crime - found pupils often carried weapons or hid them in and around the school grounds.

"I can protect myself with a knife or a gun. I would rather be arrested than dead," one teenager told researchers.

Another said: "It's not a bad thing to bring a weapon into school - you might get attacked on the way to school, on the way back. It's protection."

And not all those pupils who carried a weapon did so because they were part of a gang.

"I will admit to owning a knife because I am scared of gangs," one youngster told researchers.

Gang culture

The report identified a number of factors as to why gangs continued to hold sway in communities.

Poor parenting skills, a lack of leisure and outside activities, deprivation, family breakdown and the absence of a father figure were all factors in the strength of the gang culture, the report said.

A lack of aspiration among youngsters growing up in deprived areas also had an impact on the choices they made.

And the financial gains associated with a gang culture were also thought to contribute to the ongoing presence and influence of gangs on young people.

"You are part of something if you belong to a gang," one young person told researchers.

"If you are in a gang you have back up in case you get into trouble," said another.

The report said schools alone could not tackle the complexities of gang culture.

'Common problem'

General secretary of the NASUWT, Chris Keates, said: "It is clear that gang problems need to be acknowledged by schools to enable them to be tackled head on.

"There is a real danger that some schools will be tempted to conceal or fail to address such problems for fear the reputation of the school will suffer.

"This is a common problem in relation to many behaviour issues and has to be tackled by government. Schools need to feel confident in dealing with these issues."

But the Department for Children, Schools and Families denied there was a major problem with gangs and a knife culture in schools.

A spokesman for the department said: "The vast majority of schools are very safe places and incidents with knives are incredibly rare.

"We do not see any need for pupils to be wearing stab-proof vests."

The Gang Rape Of A Girl Aged 14 Who Insulted A Hackney Gang Leader By 15 Boys

A judge ordered yesterday that seven teenagers who gang raped a 14-year-old girl in a brutal "punishment" attack should be identified in a bid to deter other young men from similar crimes.

Judge Wendy Joseph QC warned the defendants, some of whom were as young as 13 at the time of the incident, that they faced jail sentences for the attack in Hackney, east London, as the court heard that the victim been driven to attempt to kill herself.

She was singled out because she had insulted the leader of a local gang, the Kingzhold Boys, the prosecutor, Nicola Merrick, said. She was dragged by her hair between a succession of tower block stairwells and landings in an ordeal that lasted around an hour and a half.

She was taunted, hit, threatened and orally raped by an ever-growing crowd of teenagers summoned to the scenes by mobile phone. By the time they reached the final scene, 15 boys were present. Some of the attacks were filmed on phones and shown to others later that night.

Merrick asked for the order which usually bans the identification of juvenile defendants to be lifted. "Those young people who become members of gangs, should know the outcome of this trial, that they will not mete out punishments as a gang with impunity and not ultimately retain their anonymity." The judge lifted the order after hearing the crown argue that the community and public should know what had happened. "Naming and shaming is something this procedure is not designed for," Joseph said. "That's different from deterring others."

She left the order in place in relation to two others who were also convicted of rape because they were part of the gang, but did not actually assault the girl.

The seven who can be named are: O'Neil Denton, 16, the leader of the gang; Weiled Ibraham, 17; Yusuf Raymond, 16, and Jayden Ryan, 16, who were all convicted of rape, kidnap and false imprisonment, and Alexander Vanderpuije, 15; Jack Bartle, 16; and Cleon Brown, 15, all convicted of rape and false imprisonment. Denton, Ibraham and Raymond had all pleaded guilty.

The two who cannot be named are now aged 14 and 16. They will all be sentenced on Monday.

Reading from a victim impact statement, Merrick told the court the victim said her life had been turned upside down. She now lived in a police safe house out of the area and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The girl said in the statement: "I feel like a prisoner, having to look over my shoulder everywhere I go. I used to find the unexpected fun. Now the unexpected is frightening and not exciting like it used to be."

She also blamed herself for not doing more to resist the attacks by screaming and fighting back, but was frozen with fear, the court heard.

'Being raped by a gang is normal – it's about craving to be accepted'

A female former gang member has exposed the growing levels of sexual violence against young women who join them, saying that many are willing to risk being raped in return for the status of membership.

Isha Nembhard, who was part of an 80-strong gang in Peckham, south London, said some girls readily accepted that they would be sexually abused when associating with male gangs.

The 20-year-old said that the problem had reached a point where being raped was becoming "normalised" among many young women. "Girls who are getting treated very badly know what they are getting into. They sleep with a boy and the boy asks if she will sleep with all his friends.

"It's about low self-esteem and a craving for attention. Even if they know it's wrong, they will do anything to get acceptance," she said.

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"A lot of girls are sort of prostituting themselves to have sexual relationships within a gang and get treated in a bad way. For example, she might know about what happens to girls in the gang but still sleeps with all of them just for the status."

Nembhard, who was a teenage drug dealer, said that even those who are abused and called "pieces of shit" by gang members maintained sexual relationships with them because they felt "that they couldn't do better".

Social networking sites like Facebook had, she added, helped to encourage promiscuity among young women. "You've got young girls exposing themselves on there, making it normal, and so others follow suit."

Meanwhile, a senior Scotland Yard officer has voiced concern that the problem of young women being sexually abused by male gangs had grown sufficiently large to be classified as a "mainstream issue".

The Metropolitan Police detective in charge of protecting vulnerable young women from falling into gang culture, Detective Chief Inspector Petrina Cribb, said that, although police were targeting girls as young as 12 to warn them of the risks associated with male gangs, she believed that educating youngsters of the dangers should begin even earlier, at primary school.

Cribb also admitted concern about the levels of ignorance among young women about sexual abuse, saying that many did not understand that being forced to give oral sex was rape. Cribb, who manages the Met's Heart programme, which educates young people about the risks associated with joining gangs, added: "A lot of young people do not know what is the law, particularly with regard to being coerced into oral sex, which is rape, but some think it is just playing around.

"Young girls find that they may have no choice – a young girl who is surrounded by a group of boys might feel it's normal to go along with it."

Former girl gang members say that despite being aware of the risks many girls with low self-esteem are willing to risk being raped by entire gangs to increase their "status".

The Heart programme, which involves police, local authorities and charities, aims to teach women about relationship issues, rather than the traditional emphasis on sex education. Already 180 girls identified as at risk have begun one-on-one tutorials for the rest of the year, with another 725 workshop places available to teach girls what is unacceptable in a relationship.

The scheme has so far been introduced in three London boroughs – Lewisham, Newham and Waltham Forest – but Cribb said she felt "very strongly" that every school should be delivering a form of relationship education to empower young women. "We are trying to explain that girls actually have a choice and that consent is key to a sexual relationship," she said.

Gifford Sutherland of community group Foundation 4 Life, which uses reformed former gang members to educate vulnerable youngsters, said sexual abuse was not the only risk that gangs posed to girls. "Not only are girlfriends manipulated by young men for sex, but they become associates, hiding firearms, carrying drugs, and sometimes these young girls find that they have no choice.

Teenager stabbed to death in Blackheath, south London

The Metropolitan police have launched a murder investigation after a teenager was stabbed and killed in south-east London.

Police and paramedics were called to Hervey Road, Blackheath, at about 8.10pm on Wednesday, where they found 19-year-old Jordan Wright with stab wounds. He was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital, where he died.

“We sent a paramedic in a car, an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and an advanced paramedic to the scene,” a London ambulance service spokeswoman said. “We were at the scene with the patient for approximately 15 minutes and treatment would have continued en route.”

Did you get that? A paramedic in a car (they also have them on bikes by the way, sometimes these stabbings take place on housing estates & some of them are vast), an ambulance crew AND an advanced paramedic, how many ambulance staff out of the loop for one stabbing is that? Then of course we have a number of police at the scene in an area that is becoming notorious for displays of excessive violence.

Detectives from the Met’s homicide and major crime command are investigating and have appealed for witnesses. If this is gang violence that means copious hours spent investigating, only to hit a brick wall because of an absence of witnesses (they'll already have plenty of forensics).

DCI Diane Tudway said: “I believe Jordan was part of a group of young men who had entered the park together before he was stabbed. Those other young men will know who they are, and I urge each of them to call police or Crimestoppers and simply describe what they saw.” 

The latest death brings the number of children and teenagers killed by knives across the UK this year to 13, according to the Guardian’s tally. It comes after Cressida Dick, the new Met commissioner, said on Tuesday that tackling knife and gun crime would mark out her commissionership. Brave lady because this is only spring & the SUMMER of austerity (with all it's attendant frustrations & struggles) is coming!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTI_rzYBBsu/?taken-by=akuamensah68

Victim named following Plumstead murder

Formal identification has yet to take place but officers are satisfied the victim was Rene Richardson, 24, from SE18.

Police continue to appeal for information and witnesses to come forward. 

Police were called at around 16:30hrs on Monday, 10 April to reports of a man stabbed in Bournewood Road, SE18.

Officers, London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance attended and found the man, aged 24, suffering stab wounds. 

He was pronounced dead at the scene. His next-of-kin have been informed and formal identification will take place in due course.

A post-mortem examination is taking place today, Wednesday 12 April, at Greenwich Mortuary.

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command (HMCC) are investigating.

At this early stage it is believed the victim was approached by two males in Grasdene Road, Plumstead, before he was attacked.

The victim then made his way to Bournewood Road where he collapsed and an ambulance was called.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, 11 April a 23-year-old man was arrested at an address in Bognor Regis, Sussex on suspicion of murder. He remains in custody at a south London police station.

Detectives are still trying to trace a second man, described as a black man, wearing a white t-shirt who was seen to leave the scene of the attack in a BMW sports car. 

Detective Inspector Will Reynolds, of the HMCC, said: "Whilst an arrest has been made I would urge anyone with information or witnesses to this incident to speak to us as soon as possible.

"I am particularly keen for the man seen leaving the scene in the BMW vehicle to come forward and make himself known to us. We believe he may hold vital information." 

Mile End stabbing: Third young man knifed to death in London in space of 24 hours

A young man has been knifed to death in the third fatal stabbing in London in just 24 hours.

Police say a 20-year-old was stabbed in Wager Street, Mile End, at around 4.45pm on Tuesday.

He was rushed to hospital by paramedics but died around an hour later from his injuries.

Witnesses said the victim had been stabbed near his home and collapsed in the street.

Family members and neighbours ran out to help the young man as he lay in the road, it is claimed.

One witness told the Standard people were desperately trying to give the victim mouth-to-mouth in a bid to save his life before emergency services arrived on the scene.

He said: "Many people were trying to help, shouting and crying."

Another neighbour said: "All we heard was a lot of screaming and then a car sped off with tyres screeching."

Footage published on social media showed a group of residents and distressed family members desperately trying to help the stricken man as he lay on the ground beside a car.

Detectives believe the man was with friends in Wager Street before he was approached by a group of men and stabbed.

Police have arrested an 18-year-old man on suspicion of murder. He is currently being quizzed by detectives at an east London police station.

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Lynes, from the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: "We are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at that time and might have seen what happened or who has any information about the circumstances."

Young father shot dead at music studio was turning his life around

A YOUNG father shot dead by a gunman in Archway on Saturday was trying to turn his life around after converting to Islam in prison, it has been revealed.

David Robinson, 25, also known as Dawood, was shot numerous times, including in the head, in what police have described as a “cold-blooded” attack at a music studio in Sunnyside Road. 

Police believe an altercation that began inside the relatively unknown Big House 101 music studio just before 9pm resulted in the father-of-one being shot at point-blank range.

“This was a cold-blooded, very calculated and targeted attack,” said Detective Chief Inspector Dave Whellams, who is leading a 25-strong murder squad from the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command. “Somebody has targeted him for a specific reason.”

Witnesses described paramedics battling to save Mr Robinson’s life. He was taken to the Royal London Hospital, in Whitechapel, but was pronounced dead just after midnight. 

Mr Robinson, who lived with his mother and brother in Barnsbury, grew up in the borough and was a former pupil of Islington Arts and Media School. He has a young daughter with an ex-girlfriend who lives in Leicester.

Flowers were left at the scene of the murder this week as friends took to social media to express their grief. Jordan Buitrago wrote: “RIP Brother Dawood AKA Monkey, can honestly say he was one of the nicest brothers I ever met and he always took time to help you if you was in need Mashallah. May Allah Reward him.”

Another woman said: “Omg can’t believe what I just heard RIP Monkey another life gone and taken too young.”

The Tribune understands Mr Robinson was linked to gangs in his late teens and had a number of convictions for violence, drugs and knife possession. He was jailed for 18 months and given an anti-social behaviour order for his part in a street brawl in 2011.

However, he converted to Islam while in prison and had been trying to break away from his criminal past following his release, finding a new, positive direction in religion and spoken word poetry.

He frequented the studio – based at the former shop of a petrol station, part of which is now occupied by a car wash – to record “nasheed” music. Lyrics of the chanting music, either sung a cappella or accompanied by percussion instruments, usually make reference to Islamic beliefs, history and current events.

A man in his 20s who works close to the scene of the murder said this week: “What people are saying is that he came from prison, where he became a Muslim and changed his name to Dawood.

“On the night apparently there were a lot of boys on a nearby estate drinking and getting high in the garden bit of the estate while he was doing his music. They must have known he was here and they moved here. One of them had a gun and just used it. There were a lot of boys.

“Apparently he was saying: ‘Stop! I’m not getting involved in this kind of stuff anymore.’ Then they shot him three times.”

The man added: “I’m thinking because of his past maybe someone wanted to take revenge. Even though suddenly now he’s a changed man.”   

Police believe that on the night he was killed Mr Robinson had gone to the studio to meet someone. 

Detectives said they are pursuing “all lines of inquiry” in the search for a motive. They are not sure whether the shooting was the result of an argument that got out of hand or the tragic consequence of a long-standing grudge between victim and killer. 

“We believe he [Mr Robinson] went to the studio to meet someone,” DCI Whellams added. “We believe David was involved in an altercation that began inside the music studio. That altercation resulted in him being shot.

“We know there were people in the area at the time, both inside and outside the venue, and would like to hear from anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious or who has any information about what happened.

“If someone has seen something, even if they think it’s not important, we would like them to come forward and they can speak to us in confidence.”

The Big House studio, which opened in February of last year, remained closed this week as police guarded the scene. The building had previously been a pottery shop.