‘Knife crime doesn’t discriminate’: Mother who lost son to fatal stabbing shares progress made in tackling issue in 2023

A mother, who lost her son to a single stab wound to the chest more than five years ago, has shared her thoughts on how Northampton has continued to tackle knife crime in 2023.

Cheri Curran lost her son Louis-Ryan Menezes, aged just 17, on May 25, 2018.

Since then, Cheri has continued to do important work to educate and raise awareness of knife crime to make the town a safer place – particularly for young people like her son Louis-Ryan.

Cheri is an ambassador for the county-wide anti knife crime organisation Knife Crime Victim Support (KCVS), but also does a lot of work with the Emmanuel Group of Churches focusing on the town and where Louis-Ryan was killed in Kingsthorpe.

The anti knife crime advocate believes progress has been made this year, mentioning that West Northamptonshire Council and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner have co-funded 10 projects to tackle the issue across the county.

Cheri’s project with the Emmanuel Group of Churches is in the process of being set up, after securing funding to deliver six week projects to schools. She also hopes to see a targeted youth project become a reality in Northampton in 2024.

“There are exciting things to come,” said Cheri. “Fundraising and a roadside protest were done in Kingsthorpe by KCVS, and we attended the Balloon Festival to raise awareness among the public.

“We wanted to give them the knowledge that there are organisations and communities there for them. It’s about getting it out there and breaking through the education system.

“We are getting there, which is music to our ears. We’re reaching more children and parents, and encouraging them to talk about child exploitation and serious harm.

“It’s about building the children up personally and teaching them they can be anybody they want to be. We need that step in the right direction and more information from the agencies working so hard on this topic.”

Cheri is pleased that there are now more knife amnesty bins scattered around West Northamptonshire, twinned with bleed kits available 24/7.

More work that raises awareness of choices and consequences is being done in schools, while also building the self esteem and confidence of young people to be who they want to be.

“The youth of today are desensitised to knife crime,” said Cheri. “We need to bring home the true consequences and pain of knife crime. It doesn’t discriminate no matter who you are.

“Positive steps are being made and we are raising awareness with local businesses and commuters, to look out for signs that children may be being exploited or groomed.

“The one thing we come back to is education and letting young people know there is a safe place to turn and help themselves.”

‘It’s the same community and group of young people affected. It’s the same people witnessing horrific things on the streets’

Northampton has seen two fatal stabbings this year. The murder of 16-year-old Fred Shand on March 22 and, less than a month later, the murder of university student Kwabena Osei-Poku on April 23.

Cheri said: “They had a massive impact on the Northamptonshire community, especially Kingsthorpe. Fred’s murder happened around the corner from Louis-Ryan.

“It’s the same community and group of young people affected. It’s the same people witnessing horrific things on the streets.”

Cheri hopes that if agencies continue to collaborate, steps can be taken towards minimising knife crime across the county.

“Multi agencies is the answer,” she added. “We need to get the message across and give young people safe places to avoid getting into these situations.”

Cheri wanted to finish by reiterating the important message that it is the families and loved ones of the victims that serve the life sentences. “The pain and misery will never leave,” she said.