Knife crime in Northampton: ‘Parents are frightened to let their kids out and don’t know who to turn to’

Talking to the Chronicle & Echo, Peter Paraskevas says he has seen firsthand that parents are frightened to let their kids out and do not know who to turn to as a result of the level of knife crime in Northampton.

Peter was born in Cyprus and emigrated to the UK at six months old with his parents. He experienced bullying at school for being Cypriot as English was not his first language.

“This followed through to secondary schooling and led me to be very rebellious and I was expelled from school from an early age,” Peter told this newspaper previously.

“This then spiralled out to bad decisions and bad company, which ended in me turning to drugs and fighting addiction for many years. Through this lifestyle and being in the wrong crowds, it led to many dark situations.”

Peter described this period as “the worst time of his life” and this included being kidnapped in the street, put in a car boot, and beaten because he was accused of something he had not done.

A taxi driver took Peter to the hospital to be checked over following the incident, and his parents were in shock and feared for his life when they found out what had happened.

Peter’s parents decided to sell their family-run fish and chip shop business and move back to Cyprus as a result of the incident.

“I had two choices – go with them and live, or stay and die,” said Peter. “I had to leave my children behind which broke my heart, but I knew if I’d stayed they would not have a dad. I left knowing that one day I would be reunited with my children.”

Following the decision to return to Cyprus at the age of 24, Peter successfully turned his life around and this included managing two nightclubs for around two decades.

Peter met his wife in Cyprus, who is a UK-born Cypriot, and the pair decided to return to the UK 17 years ago. The 63-year-old has been taken aback by the level of violence and crime, particularly knife and gun murders, since his return.

This inspired Peter’s idea to host ‘Memories in the Park’, which is planned for August 16 in Overstone. The aim for the party in the park is to bring grieving families together to remember and celebrate their loved ones.

There will be a billboard of photos of all the lives lost and a variety on offer at the family-friendly event, including DJ performances, face painting, a bouncy castle, food vans, a variety of speeches from people impacted by knife and gun crime, and organisations offering their support.

50 percent of entrance fees will be split between Knife Crime Victim Support and New Life Church, and the remainder will be used to cover the cost of the event. Tickets are priced at £10 per person and children under 12 can enter for free.

Peter explained that people impacted by knife and gun crime connect with one another through social media, and there has never been an event that brings them all together in one place. People will be travelling from all over the UK to attend Memories in the Park.

‘It’s a sad world’

Peter got back in touch with the Chronicle & Echo as he believes knife crime is worsening and said: “What I’m noticing since giving out flyers is that parents are frightened to let their kids out and don’t know who to turn to.

“Somewhere along the line, people need to connect – parents with teachers, and teachers with the police. It’s never ending and getting even worse. I’ve not stopped talking about the event as we need to make a stance of what needs to be done.”

Peter feels passionately that families need to know what children are up to in their teenage years, and connect any rebellious behaviour with anything untoward that may be going on.

“It’s a sad world and it happened to me years ago,” said Peter. “I was groomed into drugs and on the street, and now I’m trying to make awareness. Everyone will be sharing their stories and the community coming together.”

Peter used Kings Heath as a shining example of what needs to be done among communities moving forward, as he praised the role of community groups in pulling together to create a safer environment.

“People who have lost loved ones are non-stop running to schools to teach young ones about knife and gun crime,” Peter continued. “They feel it’s their jobs now and I have the utmost respect for them all. These people need to be recognised.

“My nephew got shot 16 times because of mistaken identity five years ago and he’s gone. It killed me it did, and I’ll always remember that boy. I remember other children and their stories.”

For more information on the Memories in the Park event in August, visit the event’s Instagram page here.